We make global data accessible and usable

Georank.org is an independent open data initiative dedicated to making the world’s most important macroeconomic and social data accessible, comparable, and useful for everyone — from researchers and journalists to educators and the general public.

A vast amount of valuable global data is technically open but remains practically inaccessible, scattered across fragmented databases, behind difficult interfaces, and in inconsistent formats. At Georank.org, we unlock this data by unifying it into a coherent system, ensuring it can be easily explored, compared, and understood.

In addition to publishing official statistics, we also produce derived data by combining existing indicators to create new ones. This process allows us to extend the value of existing datasets and deliver insights that are not directly available from any other sources.

Through clear visualizations and context, we present data to empower people to draw their own informed conclusions. We don’t tell the story — we let the data speak.

Sources

We collect and aggregate data from:

1. International Organizations (World Bank, IMF, United Nations, WTO, OECD, etc.)
2. Specialized Agencies and Intergovernmental Bodies (WHO, UNESCO, and others)
3. National Governments (statistical offices, central banks, ministries of finance, etc.)

Data Workflow

Our methodology ensures that every figure displayed on Georank.org goes through a rigorous process to minimize errors:

1. Harmonization – We align definitions, units, and methodologies to create compatibility across countries and datasets.
2. Validation – We cross-verify figures against alternative sources, correct errors where possible, and eliminate inconsistencies.
3. Source Ranking – We maintain an internal hierarchy of sources, preferring those closest to the origin (e.g., national statistical offices) and those with demonstrated reliability.
4. Selection – For each indicator, we choose the best available data point, balancing accuracy, recency, and completeness.

In global rankings and comparative dashboards, we may prioritize more comprehensive datasets to ensure fair country-to-country comparisons.

Our Story

Georank.org began in early 2020, when pandemic dashboards comparing case counts and fatalities emerged. It quickly became apparent that direct country-to-country comparisons often lacked validity, as nations differed in methodologies, reporting capacities, and willingness to disclose accurate figures.

Our team was working on data science and visualization projects for higher education institutions and we decided to apply our expertise to highlight differences in data quality across countries and to explore correlations with broader economic and governance indicators.

We had a hypothesis that there would be correlations between reported cases per capita and GDP per capita, the Human Freedom Index, and the Corruption Perceptions Index. If data quality were uniform, such correlations would not exist, yet we found strong, statistically significant correlations across all pairs.

We also found that data reported by some countries did not conform to Benford’s law, suggesting it was fabricated rather than genuinely collected.

Our analysis attracted significant attention and was cited in multiple academic research papers, indicating the demand for reliable and comparable country-level statistics.

Since then, Georank.org has expanded into a wide range of macroeconomic and social topics while keeping the same rigor in data processing and becoming a go-to place for country comparisons.

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