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Data Resources

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Data acquisition is handled in multiple ways across the University. The Yale University Library (YUL) aims to license data broadly for University-wide use to support all research areas. DISSC, other research centers, academic departments and individual research also acquire data that may be restricted to a set of users, specific to a discipline or focused use.

Consumer and Consumption Spending Data

Researchers at Yale have recently gained access to a set of unique and interesting data related to the consumption and spending patterns of U.S. consumers and households. These include:

Numerator

Numerator is a consumer data company providing insights into modern consumer behavior and trends, offering a multi-channel consumer panel with online and brick-and-mortar purchase information, including prices and payment information. These data cover e-commerce shopping trips as well as in-store purchases such as fast-moving consumer goods, electronics, cannabis, and more.

Numerator’s comprehensive consumer panel dataset includes panelists' purchase data starting in 2017, with quarterly updates. This dataset covers a wide range of product categories, including durable goods, electronics, cannabis, and much more. The data captures purchases made through both e-commerce and traditional retail channels for home use and consumption.

Click here to find out more about accessing Numerator data.

MBHS3

Proprietary data only available at Yale with de-identified information on credit and debit card transactions since 2019. These data come from various issuers and merchants and cover a substantial portion of U.S. households.

To request access to MBHS3, please email dissc@yale.edu.

Kilts

Yale has access to selected consumer consumption information maintained by the Kilts Center for Marketing at the University of Chicago.

Census Data

FSRDC

Federal Statistical Research Data Centers are partnerships between federal statistical agencies and leading research institutions. They are secure facilities providing authorized access to restricted-use microdata for statistical purposes only. The Yale Federal Statistical Research Data Center (YFSRDC) is a branch of the New York Research Data Center. Opened June 2015, it is generously funded by the Cowles Foundation for Research in Economics at Yale University, the Department of Economics, and the School of Management. It is located in the heart of the Yale campus, within the Economics Department on Hillhouse Avenue. Yale faculty and graduate students are currently involved in a wide range of research products that make use of Census data.

Researchers at Yale and beyond can apply to view nonpublic Census data. The nonpublic data available to approved researchers include:

  • Demographic census and surveys

  • Economic census and surveys

  • Linked business and household data

  • Public health data from partnering agencies

For more information about FSRDC, and how to apply to access the data, visit the Cowles website.