Datasets

LAPOP Lab grants unrestricted world-wide access to the AmericasBarometer surveys. This means that users anywhere in the world may download the SPSS and Stata country-based survey files without restriction, limitation, or charge, so long as each user agrees to the terms of use. These terms ask users to adhere to all relevant human subjects protections, and not to pass along the data to third parties.  

Who uses LAPOP Lab data?

• Academic researchers
• The United States Agency for International Development
• The World Bank
• The Inter-American Development Bank
• The United Nations Development Program
• The Organization of American States
• Several governments across Latin America and the Caribbean
• And many more

LAPOP Lab also has provided seed funding for researchers and several institutions who are using its data to support research on public opinion in Latin America and the Caribbean.  These small grants have resulted in research papers that provide additional insight into democratic politics in the region.

How can I access LAPOP Lab data?

• Raw Data Files: These files are free and publicly available, you can access them here
• Interactive Data Analysis Tool:  This tool is available in both Spanish and English and allows analyses from simple tabulations through complicated multivariate analysis of all AmericasBarometer data sets. This tool can be found here
• Subscribers: Individuals and institutions can become premium access subscribers. To learn more click here
• Repositories: Institutions or individuals can purchase datasets to create enduring data repositories.  To learn more click here

If you have any questions about the free access, please contact Rubi Arana.

IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT THE DATA SETS:

The  AmericasBarometer weighting scheme (en Español) applies to each year of the AmericasBarometer data. Users of the LAPOP Lab datasets should carefully read the corresponding reports for details on the sample design of these surveys. Some of the samples are weighted, others are not. To obtain correct results, for weighted datasets, the appropriate weight variable, normally called "WT", must be applied in both SPSS or STATA.

To see technical information including sample design information and core questionnaires, please click here.

Replication requests should refer to the LAPOP Lab websites where the data can be downloaded.  Authors should provide syntax/code that allows for replication of their analyses.  Authors are not permitted to transfer LAPOP Lab-obtained data sets to third parties, even journals, as that would violate the terms of the user agreement.

About data sets prior to 2004:

LAPOP Lab is proud to make available a special collection of surveys, "The Seligson Political Culture Survey Archive," for free download.