Undata Api

UN Data API

What the UN Data API Does

This unofficial API sits on top of the valuable datasets the United Nations publishes on the UNDATA site. The goal is to make that information simple to access and reuse, so developers can fold it into new applications or pair it with other sources for fresh kinds of analysis.

How the API Is Built

The service is a straightforward REST API hosted on Heroku's MongoHQ, so any application can query UNDATA collections with ease. Today it serves 108 datasets drawn from the World Health Organization, with more datasets to be added over time.

Free and Open Access

Access is entirely free and open to the public — you just need to register an account to generate your access keys. Standard accounts carry certain usage caps, and if you need more capacity, simply get in touch to arrange a higher limit.

You can also explore the official UNDATA SOAP API, built on the SDMX standard, at data.un.org.

Plans and Usage Limits

The Basic Plan

  • Gives you every UN Data feature
  • Capped at 5000 hits per day
Sign Up

Roadmap and Upcoming Datasets

Running Your Requests

The first release puts every World Health Organization dataset online behind a very simple REST interface, returning chunks of JSON or XML from each dataset. Over time the plan is to expand this with:

  • More organizations
  • Outputs compatible with the Linked Data Initiative

Feedback

Have a suggestion for new data you would like to see here, or a feature to add to the API? Let the team know by email and they will keep working to improve it.

Original Website

Visit the Original Site

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the UN Data API?
It is an unofficial API version of the data the United Nations publishes on the UNDATA site, built to make that data accessible and reusable so it can be mashed up and recombined into new applications or analysis.
Which datasets are available?
Right now the service covers 108 datasets from the World Health Organization, with more organizations planned over time.
How do I get access?
The service is free and open to the public — sign up for an account to generate your access keys.
Are there usage limits?
Standard accounts do have usage limits (the Basic plan lists 5000 hits per day). If you need more, contact the team to arrange a higher limit.
What format does the API return?
Requests come back as chunks of JSON or XML from the dataset, served through a simple REST interface.
Is there an official UN API?
Yes — the page links to the official UNDATA SOAP API, which uses the SDMX standard, at data.un.org.

Whether you are prototyping a dashboard or feeding a research pipeline, the API keeps things simple: register for keys, send a request, and receive JSON or XML straight from the dataset. If your project outgrows the standard limits, the team is happy to discuss a higher allowance.