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Center for Global Democracy

 

  2. Datasets

Datasets

The Center for Global Democracy provides unrestricted, worldwide access to the AmericasBarometer surveys. Researchers, policymakers, journalists, and students can download our data in user-friendly formats without charge, simply by agreeing to our Terms of Use, which include:

  • Adhering to all relevant human subjects protections
  • Not sharing the data with third parties

Who uses LAPOP Lab data?

Our datasets have been used by:

  • Academic researchers around the world
  • Governments across Latin America and the Caribbean
  • And many more

The Center for Global Democracy has also supported research through seed grants for researchers and institutions, resulting in publications that deepen our understanding of democratic politics in the region.

How to Access the Data

  • Download Raw Data Files: These files are free and publicly available, you can access them
  • Use the Interactive Data Analysis Tool: Analyze AmericasBarometer data in our Data Playground—no software or coding needed. This tool can be found here
  • Become a Subscriber: Individuals and institutions can become premium access subscribers. To learn more click here

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

Important Notes ×ÔοÊÓƵ the Data

  • Weighs and Design Effects: To account for the sampling approach used in data collection, weights and design effects should be accounted for in analyses. Single country, single year datasets should be weighted with the variable WT, whereas multi-year and/or multi-country datasets should be weighted with the variable WEIGHT1500.  To ensure correct standard errors and confidence intervals, analyses should adjust for the following design features: strata (variable STRATA), primary sampling units (variable UPM). For more details, consult the AmericasBarometer Weights and Design Effects and technical reports for each corresponding survey.
  • Sampling Details: For full sampling design details and core questionnaires, see technical reports on this page. Click on an individual country for country-specific technical information.
  • Tips for R users: Working with LAPOP’s AmericasBarometer data in R? We’ve created a concise, just for you. The guide covers:
    • Accessing variable metadata and question wording directly in R—no need to open external codebooks
    • Recommended packages for reading .dta files
    • Custom functions for working with variable and value labels in multiple languages
    • Produce visualizations of AmericasBarometer data following LAPOP Lab’s editorial guidelines

How to Cite AmericasBarometer Data

Citation styles vary by publication outlet, but all citations of AmericasBarometer data must include the following core information, regardless of formatting style:

  • Author: LAPOP Lab
  • Title: AmericasBarometer [Country]
  • Year: Year(s) of the data collection (not publication year)
  • Version: vX.X (found in the dataset file name)
  • DOI: (if available)
  • Publisher: Center for Global Democracy, Nashville, TN
  • URL:

We recommend also noting the dataset version and data access method in tables, graphs, or methodological appendices, especially if using merged or multi-year datasets.

Replication Requests

  • Authors must not share data files (including with journals), as this violates CGD’s user agreement.
  • Instead, provide a link to the CGD website and include the syntax/code needed to replicate your analysis.
  • If you used a non-public dataset (e.g., merged subscriber-only files):
    • You may submit a replication file with only those variables need for replicating the analysis (up to 20 variables)
    • For more than 20 variables, please contact Carole Wilson at c.j.wilson@vanderbilt.edu

Share Your Work

We would appreciate an email containing the publication reference to centerforglobaldemocracy@vanderbilt.edu

Pre-2004 Data Archive

Looking for historical public opinion data? Explore The Seligson Political Culture Survey Archive , a special collection of pre-2004 surveys, available for free download. Access the archive here.