Where to download survey microdata
For U.S. census and labor force microdata, use the IPUMS family — IPUMS USA for the decennial census and American Community Survey, IPUMS CPS for monthly labor force data. For census microdata from other countries, use IPUMS International, which covers 104 countries. For cross-national attitudes and values research, use the World Values Survey. For European Union microdata with more sensitive detail, expect Eurostat's tiered access model rather than a direct download. Below we cover registration steps, license terms and what each source actually contains.
The short answer
Most survey microdata worth using for serious research is free but gated behind registration, not an open download button. IPUMS (USA, CPS, International) and the World Values Survey are free after a short registration that mainly asks you to state your research purpose and agree to non-commercial, non-redistribution terms — approval is largely immediate to same-day. Eurostat is the outlier: its most detailed microdata (secure-use files) can only be analyzed inside a physical or accredited remote Safe Centre, not downloaded at all, while its less granular scientific-use files follow a more conventional researcher-access process. Budget registration time in days for IPUMS and WVS, and potentially weeks for Eurostat secure-use access.
IPUMS: harmonized census and labor force microdata
IPUMS USA
IPUMS USA, based at the University of Minnesota, harmonizes U.S. decennial census microdata back to 1850 and American Community Survey (ACS) microdata for recent years into a single consistent variable-coding scheme, which removes a large amount of the manual harmonization work researchers would otherwise need to do across census years. Data are free after registering an account and stating your intended use; the online extract system lets you select variables and samples and builds a custom download rather than forcing you to take a full fixed file. Use is restricted to non-commercial research, and redistributing raw extracts or attempting to identify individuals is prohibited under the standard IPUMS terms. Official site: census.gov — IPUMS access tools.
IPUMS CPS
IPUMS CPS harmonizes the U.S. Current Population Survey, the monthly labor force survey run jointly by the Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with harmonized data from every Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) since 1962 and other supplements since 1976 covering topics such as fertility, food security, computer and internet use and voter registration. It is the standard source for detailed U.S. labor force and unemployment microdata research. Access follows the same IPUMS model: free registration, then extract-based downloads through the online system at cps.ipums.org. Official site: cps.ipums.org.
IPUMS International
IPUMS International extends the same harmonization approach worldwide, covering 104 countries with 656 censuses and surveys and more than one billion person records, built through agreements with national statistical offices. Registration takes about fifteen minutes and requires an authorization form stating your name, institutional affiliation and research purpose; approved accounts can then access microdata for all countries in the database, with registrations expiring after one year and requiring renewal. Because access depends on agreements with each country's statistical office, use is strictly limited to scholarly and educational purposes including public policy research — commercial use is prohibited, and so is redistributing the underlying microdata. Official site: international.ipums.org.
Cross-national attitudes and values
World Values Survey (WVS)
The World Values Survey has run since 1981 across seven completed waves, covering close to 100 countries and over 90% of the world's population, on questions of political and social values, trust, religion, gender and economic attitudes. Data files are free to download directly from the WVS website without a formal application process, organized by wave or by country, and there is also a built-in online analysis tool for exploring results in-browser before committing to a full download. The only conditions are non-profit use and correct citation, with published results required to be reported back to the World Values Survey Association. A joint dataset combining WVS with the European Values Study is also distributed through GESIS – Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences for users who want the two survey families merged into one file. Official site: worldvaluessurvey.org.
European Union microdata
Eurostat microdata
Eurostat distributes EU household, labor force and business microdata (such as the EU Labour Force Survey, EU-SILC and the Community Innovation Survey) in two access tiers. Scientific-use files are de-identified and anonymized enough to be shared with researchers through a more standard access request, while secure-use files carry more granular detail and too much re-identification risk for open distribution — those can only be analyzed inside Eurostat's physical Safe Centre in Luxembourg, or since 2021 through an accredited remote-access point, with every output the researcher wants to export checked by Eurostat staff before release. This is materially more restrictive than the IPUMS or WVS model and worth planning for early if your project needs the most granular EU microdata rather than published aggregates. Official site: ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/microdata.
Survey microdata sources side by side
| Source | Coverage | License | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| IPUMS USA | U.S. census 1850–present, ACS | Non-commercial research only | Free, register + custom extract |
| IPUMS CPS | U.S. labor force, 1962–present | Non-commercial research only | Free, register + custom extract |
| IPUMS International | 104 countries, 656 censuses/surveys | Scholarly/educational only, annual renewal | Free, ~15-minute registration |
| World Values Survey | ~100 countries, 7 waves since 1981 | Non-profit use, citation required | Free, direct download, no application |
| Eurostat scientific-use files | EU household/labor/business surveys | Researcher access agreement | Free, application-based |
| Eurostat secure-use files | Same surveys, more granular detail | Restricted, output-checked | Safe Centre (Luxembourg) or accredited remote access |
How to choose
If your question is about the United States specifically, start with IPUMS USA for census/ACS-style questions or IPUMS CPS for labor force and employment questions — both share the same registration process, so setting up one account gives you a fast path into the other. If your question spans multiple countries and needs individual-level census records, IPUMS International is close to the only comprehensive option, but plan around its one-year registration renewal and strictly non-commercial terms. If your question is about attitudes, values or trust rather than demographic or labor outcomes, the World Values Survey is the fastest source to get data from, since there is no application to wait on. Reserve Eurostat's most detailed microdata for questions that genuinely require EU-specific granularity the public aggregates cannot answer, and budget real lead time for either the scientific-use file application or Safe Centre access, since neither is a same-day process.
FAQ
What is the difference between IPUMS USA, IPUMS CPS and IPUMS International?
IPUMS USA harmonizes U.S. decennial census and American Community Survey microdata; IPUMS CPS harmonizes the monthly U.S. Current Population Survey back to 1962, the standard source for U.S. labor force statistics; IPUMS International harmonizes census microdata from 104 countries beyond the United States. All three are free after registration and share a common harmonized variable-coding approach.
Is the World Values Survey free to download?
Yes. WVS data files are available without restriction for non-profit research, provided you cite the survey correctly. You can download raw data and documentation directly from the WVS website by wave or country, or explore it through the built-in online analysis tool.
Why does Eurostat microdata require a safe center instead of a direct download?
Eurostat splits its microdata into two tiers: scientific-use files, anonymized enough for a standard researcher-access process, and secure-use files, which contain more granular detail and too much disclosure risk for open distribution. Secure-use files can only be analyzed inside Eurostat's Safe Centre in Luxembourg or through an accredited remote-access point, with all output checked before release.
Not sure which survey microdata fits your research question?
If you are deciding between these sources, or need to confirm a specific country, wave or variable is actually covered before you commit to a registration process, you can give us your research question and required conditions, and we run a data availability assessment (3 free credits on sign-up) — searching these sources for real and judging matches and gaps against each requirement. Even when no perfectly fitting dataset is found, we present the search directions, approximate sources and item-by-item findings honestly for your reference.
New accounts get 3 free searches; every result comes with verifiable source links.