The World Bank Microdata Library is a service established to facilitate access to microdata that provide information about people living in developing countries, their institutions, their environment, their communities, and the operation of their economies. It participates in the World Bank's commitment to wholesale and democratize research, in line with the Bank's philosophy of Open Data, Open Knowledge, and Open Solutions.

The Microdata Library includes datasets that have been produced by the World Bank, such as impact evaluation of the Bank's operations or research on development issues. The Microdata Library also includes datasets from other international organizations, statistical agencies, and other agencies in low and middle-income countries. The microdata in the Microdata Library have been collected through sample surveys of households, business establishments or other facilities. Datasets may also originate from population, housing, or agricultural censuses or through an administrative data collection process.

All data and surveys within the Microdata Library are documented in compliance with international standards and practices.

The World Bank's aim is to provide access to as much information as possible, free of charge, to all users. In some situations, however, especially where the datasets have been provided to the World Bank by other agencies, the ownership of the data remains with that agency and there may be some limitations on how they can be accessed and used. More information on this can be found on the World Bank Microdata Library Terms of Use, page.