UNCLASSIFIED // OPEN SOURCE INTELLIGENCE ARCHIVE
CIA World Factbook 1990 – 2025
36 years of geopolitical intelligence preserved and structured for analysis.
281
Entities
36
Editions
9,536
Country-Year Records
1,071,603
Parsed Data Fields
Launch Interactive Archive
Search, browse, and analyze all 1,071,603 fields across 36 years
ABOUT
About This Archive
The CIA World Factbook was published continuously from 1962 until its discontinuation on February 4, 2026. This archive preserves every publicly available edition from 1990 to 2025 in a structured, queryable SQL Server database.
Data was collected from three sources: Project Gutenberg and CIA original text files (1990s plain text editions), the Wayback Machine (2000-2020 HTML archives), and the factbook/cache.factbook.json GitHub repository (2021-2025 JSON snapshots).
| Years | Source | Format |
|---|---|---|
| 1990-1999 | Project Gutenberg + CIA original (1996) | Plain text (4 format variants) |
| 2000-2020 | Wayback Machine | HTML zip archives (5 parser generations) |
| 2021-2025 | GitHub (factbook/cache.factbook.json) | JSON with year-end git snapshots |
SCHEMA
Database Schema
| Table | Rows | Description |
|---|---|---|
| MasterCountries | 281 | Canonical entities with EntityType, ISO codes |
| Countries | 9,536 | Per-year country records |
| CountryCategories | 83,682 | Section headings (Geography, Economy, etc.) |
| CountryFields | 1,071,603 | Individual data fields (~238 MB) |
| FieldNameMappings | 1,132 | Maps 1,132 variants to 416 canonical names |
GALLERY
Application Screenshots
The Archive
HomepageLanding page with database statistics and navigation
LibraryAll entities with flags, grouped by type
Country ProfileComplete field data for any entity by category
Full-Text SearchKeyword search across 1M+ fields with Z39.58 syntax
Field Time SeriesTrack any data field across 36 years
Text DiffSide-by-side year comparison with highlighted changes
Factbook Quiz4 game modes to test your world knowledge
Factbook ExportCSV, Excel, and print-ready PDF reports
Maps GalleryBrowsable country maps with search and filtering
Intelligence Analysis
Regional DashboardGlobe choropleth with COCOM regions and capital markers
Timeline MapAnimated choropleth across 36 years with time series
Geopolitical AtlasTerritorial disputes, infrastructure, and missile sites
Communications AnalysisInternet, mobile, broadband penetration indicators
Map CompareTwo synced maps for side-by-side year comparison
COCOM Region DetailRegional map with country-level KPIs and indicators
Intelligence DossierICD 203 country assessments with all indicators
Global RankingsSortable country rankings by any indicator
Global TrendsWorldwide indicator trends across all editions
Compare CountriesSide-by-side indicator comparison
Scatter Plot AnalysisMulti-indicator scatter with regression and outliers
Trade NetworksGeographic layout of global trade relationships
Organization NetworksInternational org memberships and alliances
Political StabilityGovernment type choropleth and regime change tracking
Natural ResourcesResource production maps and commodity analysis
DemographicsPopulation pyramids with country comparison and animation
Dissolved StatesHistorical entities no longer in the Factbook
Regional Threat BriefCOCOM-level instability and security indicators
Query BuilderCustom analytical queries with flexible filters
Field ExplorerBrowse all data fields with coverage statistics
Change DetectionYear-over-year field changes for any country
Structured Data1,775,588 parsed sub-values with SQL exploration
CIA Resources
CSI SearchFull-text search of declassified CIA journal articles
CSI DashboardPublication analytics and topic trends
CSI BrowseBrowse articles by year, topic, and author
World LeadersComprehensive leadership data hub
Browse LeadersSearch and filter leaders by country and role
Leaders MapInteractive choropleth of governance metrics
Governance AnalysisGovernment types and structural comparison
Power ConcentrationLeadership consolidation metrics by country
Security ApparatusMilitary and intelligence leadership tracking
RESTORE
How to Restore
The data is provided as SQL INSERT scripts compatible with SQL Server 2017+. The CountryFields table is split into 36 gzipped files by year (~59 MB total compressed).
To restore the archive locally:
1. Create a database: CREATE DATABASE CIA_WorldFactbook
2. Run schema/create_tables.sql
3. Import data/master_countries.sql, then countries.sql, categories.sql, field_name_mappings.sql
4. Decompress and import each data/fields/country_fields_YYYY.sql.gz
2. Run schema/create_tables.sql
3. Import data/master_countries.sql, then countries.sql, categories.sql, field_name_mappings.sql
4. Decompress and import each data/fields/country_fields_YYYY.sql.gz
ETL
ETL Pipeline & Python Scripts
The raw CIA World Factbook changed format at least 10 times between 1990 and 2025. The ETL pipeline downloads original source data, parses every format variant, and loads structured results into SQL Server via pyodbc.
| Script | Years | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
| build_archive.py | 2000–2020 | Downloads HTML zips from the Wayback Machine, detects which of 5 HTML layouts each year uses, and parses fields |
| load_gutenberg_years.py | 1990–2001 | Parses plain-text Gutenberg editions with 4 distinct format variants (tagged, asterisk, at-sign, colon); 1996 supplemented by CIA original text |
| reload_json_years.py | 2021–2025 | Checks out year-end git commits from factbook/cache.factbook.json and loads structured JSON |
| build_field_mappings.py | All | Maps 1,132 raw field name variants to 416 canonical names using a 7-rule system |
| classify_entities.py | All | Auto-classifies 281 entities into 9 types based on Dependency Status and Government Type fields |
| validate_integrity.py | All | Read-only validation with 9 checks: field count benchmarks, ground truth, year-over-year consistency |
| parse_field_values.py | All | Decomposes 1,071,603 text blobs into 1,775,588 typed sub-values using 55 field-specific parsers + SourceFragment provenance (land/water, male/female, sex ratios, literacy, revenues/expenditures, age brackets, CO2 emissions, etc.) |
| validate_field_values.py | All | Validates parsed FieldValues: coverage (98.9%), numeric extraction rate (61.5%), spot checks against known ground truth |
NEW
Structured Field Data (FieldValues)
The 1,071,603 fields in CountryFields store raw text blobs with pipe (|) delimiters separating sub-fields. The structured parsing pipeline decomposes these into 1,775,588 individually queryable, typed sub-values across 2,599 distinct sub-fields using 55 dedicated parsers. Each row includes a SourceFragment showing the exact text slice that produced the value. This enables SQL queries that were previously impossible without per-query regex.
New queries enabled: Land vs water area, male vs female life expectancy, age structure brackets (0-14, 15-64, 65+), budget revenues vs expenditures, dependency ratios (youth/elderly), urbanization rate, elevation extremes, land use composition, multi-year GDP/inflation/unemployment breakdowns, and more.
Download: factbook.db (~662 MB) from Release v3.5 — single self-contained database
Live dashboard: worldfactbookarchive.org/analysis/structured-data — interactive charts with SQL and source data tabs
Download: factbook.db (~662 MB) from Release v3.5 — single self-contained database
Live dashboard: worldfactbookarchive.org/analysis/structured-data — interactive charts with SQL and source data tabs
PARSING
Why Parsing Was So Difficult
The CIA never maintained a stable schema. Every few years the HTML layout changed completely, field names were renamed without notice, and entire categories were restructured.
1990–1999 (Plain Text)
Four different formatting conventions across the decade. 1990–1993 used indented fields. 1994 introduced tagged markers. 1996 switched to bare section headers. 1999 changed the delimiter scheme again. Each variant required its own regex-based parser.
2000–2020 (HTML)
The CIA redesigned the Factbook website at least 5 times. The 2000 edition used inline <b> formatting. By 2004 it switched to table layouts. 2008 introduced CollapsiblePanel JavaScript widgets. 2014 changed to expand/collapse sections. 2017 moved to field-anchor div structures. A parser that worked on 2006 data would produce garbage on 2010 data.
Field Name Drift
The CIA renamed fields silently over the decades. “GDP - real growth rate” became “Real GDP growth rate.” “Telephones” split into “Telephones - fixed lines” and “Telephones - mobile cellular.” The field mapping script tracks all 1,132 variants through 7 rule layers.
Four different formatting conventions across the decade. 1990–1993 used indented fields. 1994 introduced tagged markers. 1996 switched to bare section headers. 1999 changed the delimiter scheme again. Each variant required its own regex-based parser.
2000–2020 (HTML)
The CIA redesigned the Factbook website at least 5 times. The 2000 edition used inline <b> formatting. By 2004 it switched to table layouts. 2008 introduced CollapsiblePanel JavaScript widgets. 2014 changed to expand/collapse sections. 2017 moved to field-anchor div structures. A parser that worked on 2006 data would produce garbage on 2010 data.
Field Name Drift
The CIA renamed fields silently over the decades. “GDP - real growth rate” became “Real GDP growth rate.” “Telephones” split into “Telephones - fixed lines” and “Telephones - mobile cellular.” The field mapping script tracks all 1,132 variants through 7 rule layers.
EDITIONS
Year-by-Year Breakdown
| Year | Source | Countries | Fields |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | TEXT | 249 | 15,750 |
| 1991 | TEXT | 247 | 14,903 |
| 1992 | TEXT | 264 | 17,372 |
| 1993 | TEXT | 266 | 18,509 |
| 1994 | TEXT | 266 | 18,761 |
| 1995 | TEXT | 266 | 19,599 |
| 1996 | TEXT | 266 | 20,764 |
| 1997 | TEXT | 266 | 23,405 |
| 1998 | TEXT | 266 | 23,524 |
| 1999 | TEXT | 266 | 25,178 |
| 2000 | HTML | 267 | 25,724 |
| 2001 | TEXT | 265 | 27,281 |
| 2002 | HTML | 268 | 27,430 |
| 2003 | HTML | 268 | 28,676 |
| 2004 | HTML | 271 | 28,958 |
| 2005 | HTML | 271 | 28,728 |
| 2006 | HTML | 262 | 28,950 |
| 2007 | HTML | 259 | 29,096 |
| 2008 | HTML | 261 | 30,753 |
| 2009 | HTML | 260 | 30,818 |
| 2010 | HTML | 262 | 30,805 |
| 2011 | HTML | 262 | 33,634 |
| 2012 | HTML | 262 | 35,183 |
| 2013 | HTML | 267 | 36,729 |
| 2014 | HTML | 267 | 36,679 |
| 2015 | HTML | 266 | 36,868 |
| 2016 | HTML | 268 | 36,804 |
| 2017 | HTML | 268 | 37,046 |
| 2018 | HTML | 268 | 37,285 |
| 2019 | HTML | 268 | 37,394 |
| 2020 | HTML | 268 | 36,687 |
| 2021 | JSON | 260 | 39,714 |
| 2022 | JSON | 260 | 37,344 |
| 2023 | JSON | 260 | 37,558 |
| 2024 | JSON | 260 | 34,838 |
| 2025 | JSON | 260 | 32,594 |
ENTITIES
Entity Types
| Type | Count | Description |
|---|---|---|
| sovereign | 192 | Independent states |
| territory | 65 | Dependencies, overseas territories |
| misc | 7 | Oceans, World, European Union |
| disputed | 6 | Kosovo, Gaza Strip, West Bank, etc. |
| crown dep. | 3 | Jersey, Guernsey, Isle of Man |
| freely assoc. | 3 | Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau |
| special admin | 2 | Hong Kong, Macau |
| dissolved | 2 | Netherlands Antilles, Serbia and Montenegro |
| antarctic | 1 | Antarctica |
FIELDS
Field Name Standardization
The CIA renamed many fields over the 36-year span. The FieldNameMappings table maps 1,132 raw field name variants to 416 canonical names:
| Mapping Type | Count | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | 184 | Modern field names (unchanged) |
| Rename | 159 | CIA renamed the field (e.g. “GDP - real growth rate” → “Real GDP growth rate”) |
| Dash format | 64 | Formatting differences (single vs double dashes) |
| Consolidation | 48 | Sub-fields merged into parents (e.g. Oil → Petroleum) |
| Country-specific | 354 | Regional sub-entries, government body names |
| Noise | 281 | Parser artifacts, fragments (flagged IsNoise=1) |
ROADMAP
Recently Shipped
v3.4 — Structured Field Parsing — 1,775,588 sub-values extracted from raw text blobs into individually typed, queryable records. Each numeric value, unit, and label is now independently chartable and rankable across all 36 years. Interactive dashboard at /structured with Chart, SQL, and Source tabs.
World Leaders Database — Comprehensive leadership data for 200+ countries with governance analysis, power concentration metrics, and security apparatus tracking.
CIA Studies in Intelligence — Full-text searchable archive of declassified CIA journal articles with publication analytics and topic trends.
Geopolitical Atlas — Territorial disputes, infrastructure overlays, and OSINT missile facility data on interactive maps.
Demographics — Population pyramids with country comparison, animation, and historical overlay.
Scatter Plot Analysis — Multi-indicator scatter with regression lines, outlier detection, and region filtering.
World Leaders Database — Comprehensive leadership data for 200+ countries with governance analysis, power concentration metrics, and security apparatus tracking.
CIA Studies in Intelligence — Full-text searchable archive of declassified CIA journal articles with publication analytics and topic trends.
Geopolitical Atlas — Territorial disputes, infrastructure overlays, and OSINT missile facility data on interactive maps.
Demographics — Population pyramids with country comparison, animation, and historical overlay.
Scatter Plot Analysis — Multi-indicator scatter with regression lines, outlier detection, and region filtering.
In Development
• StarDict dictionaries — 36 offline dictionaries (1990-2025) for KOReader, GoldenDict-ng, and other StarDict-compatible apps. ~2.1M entries in per-field format. Download
• Dashboard builder — Custom analytical dashboards with drag-and-drop chart layout
• Analytics redesign — Traffic, audience, and security monitoring with the Dark Intelligence theme
• Dashboard builder — Custom analytical dashboards with drag-and-drop chart layout
• Analytics redesign — Traffic, audience, and security monitoring with the Dark Intelligence theme
Note
All data originates from the CIA World Factbook, a public-domain U.S. Government publication. This project is not affiliated with the CIA or U.S. Government.
All data originates from the CIA World Factbook, a public-domain U.S. Government publication. This project is not affiliated with the CIA or U.S. Government.
ARCHIVE // ENTITIES
Country Dictionary
281 entities tracked across 36 years of CIA World Factbook editions
All 281
Sovereign 192
Territory 65
Misc 7
Disputed 6
Crown Dep. 3
Freely Assoc. 3
Special Admin 2
Dissolved 2
Antarctic 1
281 entities
| Entity Name | FIPS | ISO-2 | Type | Coverage | Fields |
|---|