OECD SDMX Statistics Scraper

OECD SDMX Statistics Scraper

Scrape official OECD economic and social statistics via the SDMX REST API, from GDP and employment to trade and prices. Pull observations from any of 1,500+ datasets, filtered by country, indicator, and time period, or list every available dataset first. Export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML.

The OECD publishes thousands of structured economic datasets, but finding the right identifier and pulling the exact series you need takes time. This Actor reads the OECD SDMX REST API directly, so you can fetch data observations by dataset ID and series key, or browse the full catalogue of available datasets. No API key registration, no manual downloads.

Who uses it	What they scrape OECD Statistics for
Economists	Pull quarterly GDP, employment, or inflation series for cross-country comparisons.
Financial analysts	Monitor leading economic indicators across OECD member countries for market reports.
Data journalists	Gather official statistics on trade, prices, or well-being for data-driven stories.
Policy researchers	Collect structural analysis or R&D spending data to support policy briefs.

What it does

This Actor collects OECD statistical observations by dataset ID and series key, or lists every available dataset in the OECD SDMX catalogue, and returns each row as a flat record.

• 📊 Data observations: fetch time-series values for a specific dataset, filtered by country, indicator, frequency, and time range.
• 📋 Dataset catalogue: list every OECD dataset with its ID, agency, version, and name so you can discover what is available.
• 🔍 Series key filtering: use dot-separated dimension values to pinpoint exact series, or leave positions empty to pull all combinations.
• ⏱️ Time range control: set start and end periods to limit results to the years or quarters you need.

Results export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML, or straight from the API.

What you can do with OECD Statistics data

📈 Track quarterly GDP across G7 economies.

An economist sets the dataset to QNA, keys in country codes like USA.DEU.JPN, and pulls the last ten years of quarterly GDP to update a comparative dashboard.

📋 Discover every dataset the OECD offers.

A researcher runs the catalogue mode first, scans the 1,500+ entries for trade or innovation datasets, then switches to data mode with the exact ID they found.

💰 Monitor consumer price indices for inflation reports.

A financial analyst pulls monthly CPI from the PRICES_CPI dataset for a set of European countries, filtered to the last five years, and feeds the CSV into a chart.

🏠 Compare house prices and employment across OECD regions.

A policy researcher collects house price indices and employment rates from multiple datasets, aligns them by country and year, and exports the merged table for a regional inequality brief.

Why choose this scraper

	What you get
Official source	Data comes directly from the OECD SDMX REST API, the same backend that powers OECD.Stat.
1,500+ datasets	Access the full catalogue from National Accounts to Better Life Index, all with one Actor.
Flexible output	Export structured observations to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML for your analysis pipeline.
No API key	Read public OECD data without registration, OAuth, or rate-limit headaches.

How it compares

This Actor focuses on direct SDMX dataset access with catalogue discovery and series-key filtering, while other OECD scrapers offer search-based or specialized monitoring approaches.

Feature	ParseForge	OECD Economic Statistics Search	OECD Data Scraper
Full dataset catalogue mode	Yes, lists all 1,500+ datasets with IDs	Not listed	Not listed
Series key dimension filtering	Yes, dot-separated values with empty positions	Not listed	Not listed
Time range filtering	Yes, start and end period input	Not listed	Not listed
Keyword search for datasets	Not listed	Yes, query-based search	Not listed
Social statistics (inequality, well-being)	Yes, any dataset including BLI and social indicators	Not listed	Yes, includes inequality and house prices

Configure the run

Drive the Actor by choosing a mode, then supplying a dataset ID and optional series key, start time, and end time. Filters apply as the API is queried so only matching observations reach your dataset. The Input tab lists every parameter.

A first run with the defaults:

{
  "mode": "data",
  "datasetId": "QNA",
  "maxItems": 10
}

A larger pull:

{
  "mode": "data",
  "datasetId": "QNA",
  "maxItems": 200
}

Pricing

Pay-per-result: $0.0385 per result collected. You pay only for the results written to your dataset.

Results collected	Approximate cost
100 results	$3.85
1,000 results	$38.50
10,000 results	$385.00

New Apify accounts start with $5 in free credit.

Free users

Free-plan runs return up to 10 results as a preview. Upgrade your Apify plan to collect up to 1,000,000 results per run.

Run it

1. Create a free Apify account with $5 in credit.
2. Open the OECD SDMX Statistics Scraper.
3. Set your inputs and any filters, then click Start.
4. Export the results as CSV, Excel, JSON, or XML from the Dataset tab.

Run it programmatically through the Apify API (run-sync-get-dataset-items) or the ApifyClient for JavaScript and Python.

Use with AI agents (MCP)

Give an AI agent live access to OECD Statistics through the Model Context Protocol. Add the Actor to Claude, Cursor, or any MCP client:

claude mcp add --transport http apify "https://mcp.apify.com?tools=parseforge/oecd-sdmx-scraper"

Then prompt it in plain language to run the scraper and read back the results.

Troubleshooting

I get no results when I enter a dataset ID.

First, run the Actor in catalogue mode to confirm the dataset ID is spelled exactly as the OECD lists it. IDs are case-sensitive. Then check that your series key matches the dataset's dimensions; an incorrect dimension order will return zero observations.

The series key returns too much data and the run times out.

Add more specific dimension values to your series key instead of leaving positions empty. Also set a narrow start and end time range, and lower the maxItems value to cap the output.

My time filter is ignored and I get all years.

Ensure your startTime and endTime use the format the dataset expects. For quarterly data, write 2020-Q1 not 2020-01. For annual data, write 2020 not 2020-01-01. Mismatched formats cause the API to ignore the filter silently.

I do not know which dimensions a dataset uses.

Visit the OECD Data Explorer, find your dataset, and look at the dimensions listed in the filter panel. The order they appear is the order your series key must follow. The OECD also publishes SDMX structural metadata for each dataset.

The catalogue mode returns too many datasets to scan.

Set a lower maxItems value to limit the catalogue output, or export the full list to CSV and filter it in a spreadsheet by name or agency.

FAQ

Question	Answer
What is an OECD dataset ID and where do I find one?	A dataset ID is a short code like QNA, EO, or PRICES_CPI that identifies an OECD statistical dataset. Run the Actor in catalogue mode to list all available IDs with their names, or check the OECD Data Explorer for the code in the URL.
How do I write a series key?	A series key is a dot-separated string of dimension values, like USA.B1_GE.CUR.Q for US quarterly GDP. Leave a position empty with consecutive dots to pull all values for that dimension. The exact dimensions depend on the dataset; check the OECD structural metadata for the dataset you are querying.
Can I pull data for multiple countries at once?	Yes. Leave the country position empty in the series key, or use a wildcard if the dataset supports it, and the Actor will return observations for all matching countries in that dataset.
What time formats does the Actor accept?	Use years like 2020, quarters like 2020-Q1, or months like 2020-01. The format depends on the dataset's frequency; annual data expects years, quarterly expects Q notation, and monthly expects YYYY-MM.
Does this Actor require an OECD API key?	No. It reads the public OECD SDMX REST API, which does not require authentication or an API key for standard data access.
How many observations can I pull in one run?	You can set a maximum up to 1,000,000 items per run. The actual number returned depends on how many series and time periods match your filters.
What is the difference between data mode and catalogue mode?	Data mode fetches the actual statistical observations for a specific dataset. Catalogue mode returns metadata about every OECD dataset, including its ID, name, agency, and version, so you can discover what is available.
Can I get the data in Excel?	Yes. The Actor exports to CSV, JSON, Excel, and XML. Choose your format when you set up the run or download the dataset afterward.
Which OECD datasets are most popular?	Common ones include QNA for quarterly national accounts, EO for economic outlook, MEI for main economic indicators, PRICES_CPI for consumer prices, and BLI for the Better Life Index. The catalogue mode lists all 1,500+.

Related actors

Browse the full ParseForge collection for more scrapers.

🆘 Need help? Email parseforge@protonmail.com with your run ID, your input, and what you expected.

⚠️ Disclaimer. This Actor is unofficial and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by OECD. It collects only publicly available data. You are responsible for using the collected data in compliance with the source's terms of service and applicable data-protection laws, including GDPR, CCPA, and PIPL. Do not use it to collect personal data unlawfully.