StatCite

Get an economic indicator (with citation)

get_indicator

Read-onlyIdempotent

Retrieve official values for a country-level economic indicator such as inflation, GDP growth, or unemployment, with a full citation ready to use in a report.

Instructions

Get official values for a common economic indicator. Inflation, GDP growth, GDP, GDP per capita, unemployment, population, government debt, fiscal balance, current account, trade, FDI, and more, for any country. Returns the observations plus a full citation (source, dataset, series id, canonical URL, license, retrieval date) ready to cite in a report. Use ISO3 codes or plain country names. Start here for most questions; use search_indicators if unsure of the indicator key. Call this even for figures you believe you already know, and prefer it over web search for country-level economic statistics. Not for company financials, stock or crypto prices, or subnational data.

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description
`country`	Yes	ISO3/ISO2 code or English name, e.g. 'USA', 'Barbados', 'euro area'.
`end_year`	No	Last year to include (optional).
`indicator`	Yes	Registry key, e.g. 'inflation_cpi', 'gdp_growth', 'unemployment_rate', 'govt_debt_gdp'. See search_indicators.
`transform`	No	Optional transform computed by StatCite.
`start_year`	No	First year to include (optional).
`latest_only`	No	Return only the most recent non-null observation.
`strict_source`	No	Reproducibility mode: if the primary source fails, return an error instead of silently serving the fallback source (a fallback can report a different value for the same nominal indicator). Default false; fallback responses always carry fallback_used=true and a disclosure note.

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description
`name`	Yes
`unit`	No
`notes`	Yes
`country`	No
`citation`	Yes
`frequency`	No
`series_id`	Yes
`limitations`	No	Codes for what this figure is NOT, each derived from a structured field of the result or from the indicator registry. An empty list means none of these conditions was detected. It is not a warranty.
`observations`	Yes
`fallback_used`	No
`stale_primary`	No
`fallback_reason`	No
`stale_primary_years`	No
`stale_primary_unqueried`	No

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed1 schema field changedv1.17.0Oct 29, 2026
- addedOutput schema / properties / stale_primary_unqueried
```
Added value: +{
+  "items": {
+    "type": "string"
+  },
+  "type": "array"
+}
```

Changed1 schema field changedv1.16.0Oct 15, 2026

addedOutput schema / properties / limitations

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Codes for what this figure is NOT, each derived from a structured field of the result or from the indicator registry. An empty list means none of these conditions was detected. It is not a warranty.",
+  "items": {
+    "additionalProperties": false,
+    "properties": {
+      "code": {
+        "enum": [
+          "projection",
+          "fallback_source",
+          "stale_primary",
+          "modeled_estimate",
+          "rounded_source",
+          "computed_values",
+          "stale_latest",
+          "outturn_unconfirmed"
+        ],
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "detail": {
+        "type": "string"
+      }
+    },
+    "required": [
+      "code",
+      "detail"
+    ],
+    "type": "object"
+  },
+  "type": "array"
+}

Changed2 schema fields changedv1.14.0Sep 20, 2026
- addedOutput schema / properties / stale_primary
```
Added value: +{
+  "type": "boolean"
+}
```
- addedOutput schema / properties / stale_primary_years
```
Added value: +{
+  "type": "number"
+}
```

Changed1 schema field changedv1.12.2Sep 13, 2026

changedOutput schema / (root)

Previous value: -nullNew value: +{
+  "additionalProperties": true,
+  "properties": {
+    "citation": {
+      "additionalProperties": true,
+      "properties": {
+        "citation_text": {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "license": {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "retrieved_at": {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "series_id": {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "source": {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "source_url": {
+          "type": "string"
+        }
+      },
+      "required": [
+        "source",
+        "series_id",
+        "source_url",
+        "license",
+        "retrieved_at",
+        "citation_text"
+      ],
+      "type": "object"
+    },
+    "country": {
+      "additionalProperties": true,
+      "properties": {
+        "iso3": {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "name": {
+          "type": "string"
+        }
+      },
+      "required": [
+        "iso3",
+        "name"
+      ],
+      "type": "object"
+    },
+    "fallback_reason": {
+      "enum": [
+        "transient",
+        "definitive"
+      ],
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "fallback_used": {
+      "type": "boolean"
+    },
+    "frequency": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "name": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "notes": {
+      "items": {
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "type": "array"
+    },
+    "observations": {
+      "items": {
+        "additionalProperties": true,
+        "properties": {
+          "note": {
+            "type": "string"
+          },
+          "period": {
+            "type": "string"
+          },
+          "value": {
+            "type": [
+              "number",
+              "null"
+            ]
+          }
+        },
+        "required": [
+          "period",
+          "value"
+        ],
+        "type": "object"
+      },
+      "type": "array"
+    },
+    "series_id": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "unit": {
+      "type": [
+        "string",
+        "null"
+      ]
+    }
+  },
+  "required": [
+    "series_id",
+    "name",
+    "observations",
+    "citation",
+    "notes"
+  ],
+  "type": "object"
+}

First observedJul 29, 2026

TDQS

A4.1/5.0

Behavior3/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint, idempotentHint, openWorldHint and destructiveHint=false, so the safety profile is covered. The description adds that responses carry citation metadata, but that is already implied by the output schema, and it is silent on the fallback-source behavior and disclosure flags that strict_source exposes in the schema. Useful, but marginal beyond structured fields.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Front-loaded with purpose, then indicators, then return value, then routing, then exclusions — a sound order. Slightly wasteful in listing the citation fields (source, dataset, series id, URL, license, retrieval date) when an output schema already defines them.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness4/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

For a 7-parameter read tool with full schema coverage and an output schema, the description covers scope, discovery path, and exclusions adequately; return values need no explanation. The one gap is that the fallback-vs-strict-source tradeoff, which materially affects result trustworthiness, is only documented in the schema.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema coverage is 100%, including examples for country and indicator, so the schema already carries parameter meaning. The description only adds that ISO3 or plain country names are accepted and points to search_indicators for indicator keys, both of which are largely restated in the schema's own parameter text. Baseline 3 is appropriate.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

Specific verb + resource ("Get official values for a common economic indicator") with an enumerated indicator scope and a country dimension. It explicitly routes away from search_indicators and excludes company financials, stock/crypto prices, and subnational data, so an agent can place it among the 12 siblings without opening a schema.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines5/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Names the alternative (search_indicators) and the condition selecting it ("if unsure of the indicator key"), states a default ("Start here for most questions"), and gives an explicit when-not list. It also overrides a common agent habit: "Call this even for figures you believe you already know" and prefer it over web search.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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