World Bank

API

Free access to global development data from the World Bank

Overview

The World Bank API provides RESTful endpoints to retrieve a wide range of global development data, including economic indicators (GDP, inflation), social metrics (education enrollment, health outcomes), and environmental statistics. Responses are formatted in JSON, with support for filtering by country, indicator code, date range, and region. Key endpoints include /indicators for metric details, /countries for geographic data, and /data for time-series values. Ideal for researchers analyzing cross-country trends, developers building data visualizations, and educators creating interactive tools for global development studies.

Example Integration (JavaScript)

script.js JS


fetch('https://datahelpdesk.worldbank.org/knowledgebase/topics/125589')
  .then(res => res.json())
  .then(data => console.log(data))
  .catch(err => console.error(err));

Key Features

RESTful architecture
JSON response format
No API key required
Extensive global dataset coverage
Time-series data support

Frequently Asked Questions

? Is World Bank API free to use?

Yes, the World Bank API is completely free for public use without any subscription fees.

? Does it require an API Key?

No, most endpoints do not require an API key; you can access data directly via HTTP requests.

? What is the response format?

The API primarily returns data in JSON format, which is easy to parse for developers and researchers.

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Tool Info

Pricing Free

Category Science & Math

Platform Public API

Pros

⊕ Free unlimited access
⊕ Comprehensive development metrics
⊕ Well-documented endpoints
⊕ Filterable results for precise queries

Cons

⊖ Rate limits for high-volume requests
⊖ Some datasets have monthly/quarterly update lags
⊖ Nested JSON responses may require extra parsing