Advanton offers free statistics for students and researchers: more than 8,000 official figures on economies, consumers, businesses and markets in India, the United States and 217 countries, each with a chart, a data table, its source and a ready-made citation. Whether you are writing an economics assignment, a business project or a thesis, you can find a figure, understand it and cite it correctly in minutes.
What you can find
| Subject | Examples | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Economics | GDP, growth, inflation, unemployment, trade for 217 countries | World economy statistics |
| Development | Population, life expectancy, urbanisation, internet use | World and India statistics |
| Consumer behaviour | What households spend, by category, state and income | India consumer spending, US consumer spending |
| Business and entrepreneurship | Small businesses, earnings, jobs and pay | Indian small businesses, US industries and jobs |
| Marketing and retail | Retail sales, e-commerce, market size | US markets, market size estimates |
| Public finance and states | GST collections and registrations by state | India GST by state |
| Industry | Factories, output and employment | India’s factories |
Ask a question in plain words with Ask Advanton, for example "inflation in Brazil" or "how much do people in Kerala spend a month".
How to use a statistic in your work
- Find the statistic through search, Ask Advanton or a topic page.
- Read the whole page: the chart, the data table, the notes and "How this page was made".
- Check the period and definitions, for example whether figures are urban or rural, per person or per household, nominal or adjusted for inflation.
- Note whether it is an estimate. Advanton labels its own calculations as estimates and explains the method.
- Cite it: use the APA, MLA or Chicago citation on the page, and name the original source.
- Download if you need the numbers: a free account gives you Excel, PowerPoint, CSV or PNG downloads (two free downloads, each unlocking one statistic in every format).
Reading data correctly: what examiners look for
| Concept | Why it matters | Example from Advanton data |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal vs real | Growth in money terms can hide price rises | US household spending rose 22.4% from 2021 to 2025, but only about 3% after inflation |
| Per person vs per household vs total | Rankings change completely | Uttar Pradesh has low spending per person but is India’s largest consumer market in total |
| Averages vs distributions | Averages hide inequality | The richest 5% of urban Indians spend 8.5 times the poorest 5% |
| Measured vs estimated | Estimates depend on assumptions | State-by-category spending in India is labelled as an Advanton estimate |
| Sample size | Small samples are less reliable | Small-sample survey figures are flagged as indicative |
| Correlation vs causation | Related figures do not prove cause | Income and spending correlate at 0.80 across Indian states; other factors also matter |
Showing that you understand these points is often what separates a good grade from a great one.
Project and thesis ideas using Advanton data
- Engel’s law in practice: compare the share of food in household budgets in rural India, urban India and the US.
- The urban–rural divide: why is the spending gap 2.0 times in Meghalaya but only 1.2 times in Kerala?
- Digital inclusion: what explains the jump in women’s internet use between NFHS-5 and NFHS-6 in Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh?
- Small business productivity: why do small businesses in Gujarat add three times the value of those in Odisha?
- E-commerce after the pandemic: did 2020 permanently change online shopping in the US?
- Inflation and household budgets: which US spending categories grew in real terms from 2021 to 2025?
- Tax and economic activity: how well do GST collections by state reflect local consumer markets?
- Market sizing: estimate the market for a business in your own state using HCES data.
- Global development: compare growth, inflation and unemployment across countries in a region.
- Retail transformation: which US store types are shrinking, and why?
Each idea links to data you can cite, and our Advanton Reports show how to turn data into findings.
Worked example: a two-state comparison
Question: How do household budgets differ between Kerala and Bihar?
| Measure (HCES 2023-24) | Kerala | Bihar |
|---|---|---|
| Urban spending per person a month | ₹7,783 | ₹5,080 |
| Rural spending per person a month | ₹6,611 | ₹3,670 |
| Urban–rural gap | 1.18 times | 1.38 times |
A strong analysis would note that Kerala’s rural residents spend more than urban residents in most states, discuss possible reasons (remittances, education, health and social spending), and cite the source for every figure, while avoiding claims the data cannot support, such as why individual households spend as they do.
A checklist for writing about data
- State the figure, its unit, its period and its source in the same sentence.
- Compare like with like: same years, same units, same definitions.
- Say whether growth is nominal or adjusted for inflation.
- Round sensibly: "about 1.7 times" is clearer than "1.6971 times".
- Distinguish your interpretation from what the data shows.
- Use a chart only when it makes the point clearer than a sentence.
- Cite every figure, including those from tables and charts.
Examples of strong data sentences
Weak: Indians spend a lot more in cities.
Strong: In 2023-24, urban Indians spent an average of ₹6,996 per person a month, about 1.7 times the ₹4,122 spent in rural India (MoSPI, Household Consumption Expenditure Survey 2023-24).
Weak: Online shopping is growing fast in the US.
Strong: Online sales reached 17.1% of US retail sales in the second quarter of 2026, up from 14.6% five years earlier (US Census Bureau, seasonally adjusted).
Citing Advanton
Every statistic page has ready-made citations. A typical APA citation:
Advanton. (2026). Average monthly spending per person in Kerala, 2023-24 [Data set]. Original source: Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. https://advanton.com/statistics/monthly-spending-per-person-kerala/
Your institution may prefer citing the original agency directly; Advanton always names it. See how to cite Advanton.
Guides for research skills
- How to calculate market size (TAM, SAM, SOM)
- How to do market research for a small business
- Free market research data for India
- Free US government data for market research
- Our methodology
Questions from students
Is Advanton a reliable source for assignments?
Advanton republishes official data with the original source named on every page. For academic work, cite the original agency as well as the Advanton page, and check your institution’s rules.
Is it free?
Yes. All statistics, charts and analysis are free to read. Downloads need a free account (two free downloads).
Can I use Advanton charts in my presentation?
Yes, with a citation. You can embed charts online or download chart images with a free account.
Can I get the raw data?
Each page shows the data table. Free accounts can download Excel and CSV files; for full datasets, follow the source link to the original agency.
Can I cite an Advanton Report in my thesis?
Yes. Each report has a citation at the end; cite the underlying official sources as well where your institution requires it.
How current is the data?
Each page shows "Data last updated", and the data update log lists every refresh.
Last reviewed November 11, 2026. Startup costs are estimates; check local prices, licensing and tax rules before you commit money.
