| Source | Description | Available |
| Global Financial Data | Data on commodities in some cases going back to 1784. | Online. Registration is required. |
| Datastream International* | Up to date as well as historical international data on commodities. International Financial Statistics also reports commodity indices (part of the Economics module). | Available on the workstations located near Firestone A-13-J and Stokes Library. Part of Refinitiv Workspace. The modules for commodities, economics, equities, and futures are also available through WRDS. |
| CRB Commodity Yearbook | Covers the various commodities of the world. Provides data as well as commentary. 1939+ | HF1041.C73. Latest volume is in DSS. Available electronically through Mergent Archives. |
| CRB Encyclopedia of Commodity and Financial Prices | Provides deep historical coverage. | (DSS) HF1041.C72 |
| Commodities (part of UnctadStat) | UNCTAD source which provides annual pricing data from 1960 to the present for various commodities often specific to a place. Includes "Commodity price long term trends" and "Commodity price instability". | Online. |
| Global Insight* | Daily data for commodity prices. | Online. |
| USGS National Minerals Information Center | Domestic and international supply of and demand for minerals and mineral materials essential to the U.S. economy and national security. More than 90 mineral commodities are covered. | Online. |
| GEM Commodities | The World Bank collection of monthly commodities prices & indices from 1960+, updated on the 3rd working day of each month, as presented in the Commodity Price Data (a.k.a. Pink Sheet), published continuously for more than half a century. | Online. |
| Copper Survey | Information on prices, production, consumption, & trade. | 2013-2016 (online). Ceased |
| Gold Survey | Information on prices, supply, trade, & demand. | 2013-2019 (online) HG293.C65aq; 2012-2014; 2016-2017 in Firestone. Previous title: Gold (Lewis Library Serials) 1976-1982, 1984, 1986. RECAP also has 1974-1989 and 1993-1998. |
| Platinum & Palladium Survey | Information on prices, supply, investment, & demand. Palladium ended in 2015. | (F) HD9539.P5 P527q 2012; 2013-2019 (online) |
| World Silver Survey | Information on prices, trade, supply, & demand. | 2013-2020: (online) HD9536.A1 W69; 1995, 2012-2018 in Firestone; 1992-2003 on Microfiche SRI A8902-4. RECAP also has 1950-1970. |
| Base Metals Review & Outlook | Information on prices, trade, supply, & demand of base metals including aluminum, lead, nickel, & zinc. | 2015-2019 |
| Metallstatistik (Metal Statistics) | 1960+. Includes details on production, consumption, stocks & external trade. | Oversize HD9539.A1 M4q (current volume in DSS) |
African Commodity Trade Database |
Provides export and import series at product level for African trade (1737-2010). | Free online. |
| MEMDB: Medieval and Early Modern Data Bank | Select commodity prices from the Medieval Ages. | Free online. Also available in bulk. |
| Bloomberg* | Up to date as well as historical (though generally not before 1989) international data on commodities. Frequency varies but is typically daily for financial information and in some cases intradaily. Intradaily data is typically kept from 30 to 90 days only. Downloading is extremely limited. | Available on the workstations located near Firestone A-13-J, Robertson 046, Andlinger 211A, Master of Finance lounge in JRR, and Sherrerd lower level. |
| Global Commodities |
Brings together manuscript, printed & visual primary source materials for the study of global commodities in world history. | Online. |
| Handbook of World Stock, Derivative and Commodity Exchanges. 1994, 1997-2010. |
Country by country listing of exchanges. Gives a brief history & other pertinent information. | HG4551.H319q (Final edition in DSS) |
| Open database on global coal and metal mine production | Covers global extraction of coal and metal ores on an individual mine level. It covers 1171 individual mines in 80 different countries, reporting mine-level production for 80 different materials in the period 2000-2021. |
*Must be used for academic purposes only, that is, to support the teaching and research of Princeton University.
For additional historical sources see the appendix of NBER Working Paper No. 14748.
Also consult the FAQs.
Bobray Bordelon
