StatCite

Get an economic indicator (with citation)

get_indicator

Read-onlyIdempotent

Retrieve official economic indicator values for any country, including inflation, GDP, unemployment, and more, with full citations ready for reports.

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

TableJSON 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

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`name`	Yes
`unit`	No
`notes`	Yes
`country`	No
`citation`	Yes
`frequency`	No
`series_id`	Yes
`observations`	Yes
`fallback_used`	No
`stale_primary`	No
`fallback_reason`	No
`stale_primary_years`	No

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

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

A4.5/5.0

Behavior4/5

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

Annotations already establish the operation is read-only, idempotent, and non-destructive, so the description's main value is contextual: it promises a full citation with source, dataset, series id, canonical URL, license, and retrieval date, and notes that fallback responses carry a disclosure. It also clarifies the data are official values, which is useful provenance context beyond the annotations.

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

Conciseness5/5

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

Seven concise sentences, each with a distinct job: scope, return value, input conventions, routing, trust instruction, and exclusions. The most important facts are front-loaded before guidance and exclusions.

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

Completeness5/5

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

For a 7-parameter tool backed by a complete input schema and an output schema, the description covers the remaining context: what data comes back (observations + citation), what source/scope is promised (official, country-level), and when to look elsewhere. Nothing essential for an agent's selection or invocation appears missing.

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% and each parameter already has a description, so the description need not repeat details. It does add a few examples and heuristics (ISO3 codes or plain names, 'registry key', 'use search_indicators'), but these add marginal value rather than essential semantics.

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?

The first sentence names a specific verb ('Get official values') and resource ('a common economic indicator'), and the paragraph enumerates supported indicators and countries. It differentiates from siblings by saying 'Start here for most questions' and explicitly routing to search_indicators when the indicator key is unknown.

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?

The description gives explicit when-to-use guidance: 'Start here for most questions', 'Call this even for figures you believe you already know', and 'prefer it over web search for country-level economic statistics'. It also states what it is not for — company financials, stock/crypto prices, subnational data — and names the relevant alternative, search_indicators.

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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