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+0.31 Show HN: CIA World Factbook Archive (1990–2025), searchable and exportable (cia-factbook-archive.fly.dev)
484 points by MilkMp 2 days ago | 99 comments on HN | Neutral Landing Page · vv3.4 · 2026-02-24
Article Heatmap
Preamble: +0.56 — Preamble P Article 1: +0.36 — Freedom, Equality, Brotherhood 1 Article 2: +0.50 — Non-Discrimination 2 Article 3: +0.20 — Life, Liberty, Security 3 Article 4: -0.10 — No Slavery 4 Article 5: -0.10 — No Torture 5 Article 6: +0.20 — Legal Personhood 6 Article 7: +0.25 — Equality Before Law 7 Article 8: +0.30 — Right to Remedy 8 Article 9: -0.20 — No Arbitrary Detention 9 Article 10: +0.20 — Fair Hearing 10 Article 11: +0.15 — Presumption of Innocence 11 Article 12: -0.15 — Privacy 12 Article 13: +0.60 — Freedom of Movement 13 Article 14: +0.25 — Asylum 14 Article 15: +0.20 — Nationality 15 Article 16: +0.10 — Marriage & Family 16 Article 17: +0.36 — Property 17 Article 18: +0.20 — Freedom of Thought 18 Article 19: +0.80 — Freedom of Expression 19 Article 20: +0.23 — Assembly & Association 20 Article 21: +0.43 — Political Participation 21 Article 22: +0.20 — Social Security 22 Article 23: +0.25 — Work & Equal Pay 23 Article 24: +0.15 — Rest & Leisure 24 Article 25: +0.55 — Standard of Living 25 Article 26: +0.45 — Education 26 Article 27: +0.52 — Cultural Participation 27 Article 28: +0.23 — Social & International Order 28 Article 29: 0.00 — Duties to Community 29 Article 30: +0.10 — No Destruction of Rights 30
Negative Neutral Positive No Data
Aggregates
Weighted Mean +0.31 Unweighted Mean +0.25
Max +0.80 Article 19 Min -0.20 Article 9
Signal 31 No Data 0
Confidence 33% Volatility 0.23 (Medium)
Negative 4 Channels E: 0.3 S: 0.7
SETL -0.17 Structural-dominant
Evidence: High: 1 Medium: 8 Low: 22 No Data: 0
Theme Radar
Foundation Security Legal Privacy & Movement Personal Expression Economic & Social Cultural Order & Duties Foundation: 0.47 (3 articles) Security: 0.00 (3 articles) Legal: 0.15 (6 articles) Privacy & Movement: 0.22 (4 articles) Personal: 0.22 (3 articles) Expression: 0.49 (3 articles) Economic & Social: 0.29 (4 articles) Cultural: 0.48 (2 articles) Order & Duties: 0.11 (3 articles)
Domain Context Profile
Element Modifier Affects Note
Privacy
No privacy policy or data handling statement visible on-domain.
Terms of Service
No terms of service visible on-domain.
Accessibility +0.15
Article 2 Article 13
Semantic HTML, ARIA landmarks, keyboard navigation (Ctrl+K search), responsive design, color contrast in dark theme. Positive structural accessibility signals.
Mission +0.20
Article 19 Article 27
Explicit framing as 'Open Source Intelligence Archive' preserving 36 years of public CIA Factbook data. Mission statement supports information access and transparency.
Editorial Code
No editorial code or standards document visible on-domain.
Ownership +0.10
Article 21
Schema.org credits CIA as creator; domain is third-party archive (fly.dev). Maintains attribution and public nature of source material.
Access Model +0.20
Article 19 Article 25
Freemium/open access model. Search, browse, and export available without apparent paywall. Supports universal information access.
Ad/Tracking
No advertising or tracking pixels detected on page content provided.
HN Discussion 19 top-level comments
ronald_petty 2026-02-22 22:31 UTC link
I like the timeline feature. Maybe I need to spend more time, but to see political changes / borders / etc. would all be great! Keep up the good work.
celeryd 2026-02-22 22:38 UTC link
Any way to download them all at once?
FergusArgyll 2026-02-22 22:48 UTC link
Nice!

One thing; you're supposed to write "Cannot confirm or deny my affiliation with the CIA"

b8 2026-02-22 22:50 UTC link
2025-2026 is available (to purchase/read outside or ur site) and the last version 2026-2027 is planed for release on April 7th, https://www.amazon.com/CIA-World-Factbook-2026-2027-ebook/dp....
nubg 2026-02-22 23:33 UTC link
Site loads very slowly for me. Tried various devices and networks. Same for a friend of mine overseas.
ggm 2026-02-23 00:21 UTC link
This is an archive of the service which is being shut down under the current WH administration?
3eb7988a1663 2026-02-23 01:13 UTC link
Just an incredible service. Really appreciate that you put all of your backend work into the open.
cwnyth 2026-02-23 01:14 UTC link
Kudos! I was working on doing this as well, so it's nice to see it already done.
kshri24 2026-02-23 01:54 UTC link
There is a bug in the time series charts. Data needs to be normalized prior to charting. For example: https://cia-factbook-archive.fly.dev/archive/field/IN/Broadb...
roysting 2026-02-23 03:28 UTC link
Hi. Nice project. One issue though; if you go to the Factbook for any year[1], the link to the entry for “Germany”[2] will take you to the entry for the Gambia for every year I have checked. I have not noticed any other countries where that happens.

[1] https://cia-factbook-archive.fly.dev/archive/2002

[2] https://cia-factbook-archive.fly.dev/archive/2002/GM

eddythompson80 2026-02-23 04:20 UTC link
Cool project. The world population seems to be double counted. I think https://cia-factbook-archive.fly.dev/analysis/trends
1659447091 2026-02-23 05:08 UTC link
There is a github of the factbook for anyone that just wants JSON or markdown files:=> https://github.com/factbook

"A cache for datasets for the country profiles from the World Factbook in the original (1:1) format from the cia.gov website"

https://github.com/factbook/cache.factbook.json

freakynit 2026-02-23 05:21 UTC link
To the author:

In case you are patching fields/bugs in database (like country codes for example), would it be possible for you to share that database as well with us so we can build on top?

This is actually an excellent dataset to test GraphRAG capabilities.

Also, a world simulation game, embodied with real data and real changes, can be built based off this data.

Thanks..

srinath693 2026-02-23 06:10 UTC link
This is how Show HN should work. Someone posts a project, community finds bugs in real time, creator fixes them live in the thread. The FIPS vs ISO country code collision is a perfect example of the kind of obscure gotcha you only catch with enough eyeballs. Good on the creator for being responsive instead of defensive about the bug reports.
globalise83 2026-02-23 07:27 UTC link
My guess is that the current administration has deleted all internal data from the CIA World Factbook to prevent any attempt to revive it in future. Would be amazing if the next US administration were to use this archived data to rebuild it.
knuckleheads 2026-02-23 08:33 UTC link
The very first program I ever wrote that I was proud of was a CIA world factbook scraper and report generation script in High School. A hard ass of a teacher had people grab a random assortment of facts about random countries on there and put it all into word, under the guise that it taught you something about the countries. It was entirely formulaic and I remember the lightning realization I could use the Java I was learning in AP class. I made a bet with my roommate that I could write the program to do it faster than it took him to actually do it. I went over by a half hour, but I posted it to facebook and there was much rejoicing in the class.
tolerance 2026-02-23 08:48 UTC link
This is clearly a vibe coded project. If I were to critique it taking its warm reception into consideration I wouldn’t necessarily call it slop. Slurry? Soup? A good portion of the discussion here are bug reports about things I could imagine someone who has experience in working with this sort of data would anticipate and address in the flow of development, whether on their own or with an LLM.

Yes it is an ambitious project, yes it is useful in theory, but I’m interested in its viability as a legitimate tool for the sort of people who would rely on it for research purposes as opposed to the sort of people who find it a fascinating project but in practice it is little more than something to pique their curiosity—a toy.

At the same time maybe it doesn’t have to be either. It could just be a display of the initiative and ingenuity of the person behind it. But little else can be inferred about them I reckon.

oxfeed65261 2026-02-24 01:58 UTC link
This is fantastic!

I would greatly appreciate an optional light mode / non-dark mode. I know a lot of folks love dark mode, but I find it very hard to read.

Thanks so much for this!

Score Breakdown
+0.56
Preamble Preamble
Medium A:information_access P:transparency F:public_intelligence
Editorial
+0.35
Structural
+0.45
SETL
-0.21
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

Preamble emphasis on dignity, justice, peace. Content positions itself as archive supporting informed democratic participation. Contextual modifier reflects accessibility and open-source mission alignment.

+0.36
Article 1 Freedom, Equality, Brotherhood
Low F:universal_equality P:information_parity
Editorial
+0.20
Structural
+0.30
SETL
-0.17
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

No explicit editorial on equal rights; structure provides equal access to data across 281 entities without discrimination in presentation.

+0.50
Article 2 Non-Discrimination
Medium P:nondiscrimination P:universal_access
Editorial
ND
Structural
+0.35
SETL
ND
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

No editorial statement on non-discrimination. Structural: data presented uniformly across all entities; keyboard/accessibility support; no barriers to use. Modifier reflects accessibility improvements.

+0.20
Article 3 Life, Liberty, Security
Low P:data_integrity
Editorial
ND
Structural
+0.20
SETL
ND
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

Right to life, liberty, security of person. Not directly engaged. Structural signal: archive preserves historical data integrity (36-year continuity).

-0.10
Article 4 No Slavery
Low
Editorial
ND
Structural
-0.10
SETL
ND
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

Slavery/servitude. Not addressed or relevant. Slight negative signal: government intelligence data may enable surveillance or control if misused; neutral observation only.

-0.10
Article 5 No Torture
Low
Editorial
ND
Structural
-0.10
SETL
ND
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

Torture/cruel treatment. Not engaged. Neutral-negative: intelligence archives historically associated with coercive state power, though this archive is itself public and open-source.

+0.20
Article 6 Legal Personhood
Low P:legal_personhood
Editorial
ND
Structural
+0.20
SETL
ND
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

Right to recognition before law. Not directly addressed. Structural: 281 entities recognized with ISO codes and metadata; implies formal legal status cataloging.

+0.25
Article 7 Equality Before Law
Low P:equal_protection
Editorial
ND
Structural
+0.25
SETL
ND
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

Equal protection before law. Structural: platform applies consistent data schemas and search across all entities; no privileging of certain nations over others in interface design.

+0.30
Article 8 Right to Remedy
Low P:legal_remedy
Editorial
ND
Structural
+0.30
SETL
ND
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

Right to effective remedy. Not engaged. Structural: searchability and transparency of government data supports citizens' ability to hold institutions accountable.

-0.20
Article 9 No Arbitrary Detention
Low
Editorial
ND
Structural
-0.20
SETL
ND
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

Freedom from arbitrary arrest/detention. Not engaged. Slight negative signal: intelligence data can enable state surveillance and detention; archive itself is neutral but facilitates state knowledge.

+0.20
Article 10 Fair Hearing
Low P:fair_process
Editorial
ND
Structural
+0.20
SETL
ND
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

Fair and public hearing. Structural: public data archive supports transparency in judicial/administrative processes; does not itself provide legal process.

+0.15
Article 11 Presumption of Innocence
Low P:transparency
Editorial
ND
Structural
+0.15
SETL
ND
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

Presumption of innocence. Not engaged. Minimal structural signal: archive publishes factual data that could support or undermine presumptions; neutral on criminal proceedings.

-0.15
Article 12 Privacy
Low
Editorial
ND
Structural
-0.15
SETL
ND
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

Privacy of correspondence/family. Slight negative signal: intelligence data archives can infringe on privacy; archive indexes country-level data (not personal), but infrastructure normalizes surveillance state capacity.

+0.60
Article 13 Freedom of Movement
Medium P:freedom_of_movement P:information_mobility
Editorial
ND
Structural
+0.45
SETL
ND
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

Freedom of movement and residence. Structural: archive enables citizens to research migration, demographic, economic data by country and year; supports informed decision-making on movement. Keyboard navigation and cross-border searchability are positive signals.

+0.25
Article 14 Asylum
Low P:asylum_research
Editorial
ND
Structural
+0.25
SETL
ND
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

Right to asylum. Not directly engaged. Structural: historical country data can support asylum claims or research; archive enables public scrutiny of country conditions.

+0.20
Article 15 Nationality
Low P:nationality_data
Editorial
ND
Structural
+0.20
SETL
ND
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

Right to nationality. Not directly addressed. Structural: 281 entities cataloged with ISO codes; supports national identity tracking but does not engage nationality rights substantively.

+0.10
Article 16 Marriage & Family
Low
Editorial
ND
Structural
+0.10
SETL
ND
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

Marriage, family. Not engaged. Minimal structural signal: demographic data may include marriage/family statistics by country but not core mission.

+0.36
Article 17 Property
Medium P:information_transparency F:public_ownership
Editorial
+0.20
Structural
+0.30
SETL
-0.17
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

Property rights. Schema.org credits CIA as creator; archive preserves public intellectual property (unclassified Factbook). Structural: searchable property/economic data by country. Modifier reflects open access model.

+0.20
Article 18 Freedom of Thought
Low P:information_access
Editorial
ND
Structural
+0.20
SETL
ND
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

Freedom of thought, conscience, religion. Data includes religious demographics by country; supports research and informed dialogue on global faith practices.

+0.80
Article 19 Freedom of Expression
High A:information_freedom P:public_intelligence F:transparency_ethos
Editorial
+0.55
Structural
+0.65
SETL
-0.25
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

Freedom of opinion and expression. Strong signal: explicit tagline 'Open Source Intelligence Archive'; mission is to preserve and structure CIA data for public analysis. Full-text search, export, no editorial filtering. Schema describes as public domain. Context modifier reflects access model and mission alignment with Article 19 intent.

+0.23
Article 20 Assembly & Association
Low P:association_data
Editorial
+0.20
Structural
+0.25
SETL
-0.11
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

Freedom of assembly, association. Data may include civil society or political organization statistics by country; supports research on associational freedoms but not primary mission.

+0.43
Article 21 Political Participation
Medium P:democratic_data F:political_transparency
Editorial
+0.30
Structural
+0.35
SETL
-0.13
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

Participation in government. Archive includes government type, leadership, political system data by country/year. Enables citizens to compare governance models and track political change. Context modifier for information access supporting democratic participation.

+0.20
Article 22 Social Security
Low P:social_welfare_data
Editorial
ND
Structural
+0.20
SETL
ND
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

Social security, cultural rights. Data includes health, education, welfare metrics by country; supports research on social rights but not core mission.

+0.25
Article 23 Work & Equal Pay
Low P:labor_data P:economic_transparency
Editorial
ND
Structural
+0.25
SETL
ND
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

Work, fair wages, trade unions. Data includes labor force, economic indicators by country; supports research on labor conditions and economic rights.

+0.15
Article 24 Rest & Leisure
Low
Editorial
ND
Structural
+0.15
SETL
ND
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

Rest, leisure. Not directly engaged. Minimal signal: work/unemployment data may relate to rest rights indirectly.

+0.55
Article 25 Standard of Living
Medium P:health_data P:standard_of_living F:access_to_data
Editorial
+0.30
Structural
+0.40
SETL
-0.20
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

Adequate standard of living, health, education. Archive includes health expenditure, disease data, education statistics, GDP by country/year over 36 years. Enables tracking of living standards globally. Context modifier reflects open access model supporting informed health/welfare decisions.

+0.45
Article 26 Education
Medium P:education_data F:information_literacy
Editorial
+0.25
Structural
+0.35
SETL
-0.19
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

Education, cultural development. Data includes literacy rates, education expenditure, school enrollment by country/year. Archive itself supports education and informed citizenship. Context modifier reflects free access supporting educational access.

+0.52
Article 27 Cultural Participation
Medium A:cultural_data P:scientific_access F:intellectual_commons
Editorial
+0.35
Structural
+0.40
SETL
-0.14
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

Participation in culture, science, benefits. Archive preserves and makes searchable 36 years of scientific/demographic/cultural data. Framed as public intelligence commons. Keywords include 'OSINT.' Context modifier reflects mission to share intellectual heritage.

+0.23
Article 28 Social & International Order
Low P:framework_transparency
Editorial
+0.20
Structural
+0.25
SETL
-0.11
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

Social/international order. Not directly addressed. Structural: data supports analysis of global order by enabling comparison of country-year conditions and CIA reporting shifts over time.

0.00
Article 29 Duties to Community
Low
Editorial
ND
Structural
+0.10
SETL
ND
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

Duties to community. Not engaged. Slight negative modifier: intelligence archives historically tied to state power that may override community duties. Archive itself is neutral but infrastructure context matters.

+0.10
Article 30 No Destruction of Rights
Low
Editorial
ND
Structural
+0.15
SETL
ND
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

Prohibition of abuse of rights. Not engaged. Minimal signal: archive's transparency can mitigate abuses but also enables them. Slight negative modifier reflects dual-use nature of intelligence data.

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build e6e1fe0+wzhh · 2026-02-25 01:29 UTC