What it does
FRED is the St. Louis Fed's economic-data service, with time-series search, charts, downloads and software access. It combines data from public and private providers. Browsing is public, and a free account adds saved graphs, data lists, dashboards and update emails.
FRED can be browsed by category, release or original provider, which helps when several series have similar names. Each series carries units, frequency, notes and release information. These details distinguish, for example, a price index from its annual percentage change.
To change a chart's frequency, choose EDIT GRAPH > EDIT LINE, select the series and use Modify frequency. The default aggregation is Average; Sum and End of period are alternatives. Choose deliberately because a monthly average and a month-end reading describe different things.
Download above the graph offers Excel or CSV for data, and image or PowerPoint output for the chart. A free account is needed to save graphs and data lists or receive update emails. Public series can be read without signing in, and the account also provides access to FRED's application programming interface for software connections.
FRED normally shows the latest revision of a series. Its linked ALFRED service preserves earlier versions, useful when studying what information was available on a past date. A historical model using revised data answers a different question from one using the release known at the time. Check the series notes for provider-specific reuse conditions before republishing.
Strengths
- Keeps definitions, release details and provider links with series
- Exports both numerical data and presentation-ready charts
- Connects current series with historical data vintages through ALFRED
Watch out for
- Current FRED values can incorporate revisions to earlier observations
- Reuse conditions depend on the underlying data provider
Best for
- Analysts comparing economic indicators with consistent units and frequencies
- Researchers distinguishing current data from historical releases
Sources
- FRED economic data search and release browsing (Oct 27, 2026)
- FRED data sources, access and ALFRED vintages (Oct 27, 2026)
- Downloading FRED data and charts (Oct 27, 2026)
- Free FRED account features (Oct 27, 2026)
- Changing FRED series frequency and aggregation (Oct 27, 2026)
- Public FRED series observations, notes and reuse notice (Oct 27, 2026)