Data Review of the Global Welfare State Information System (WeSIS)

This data review examines the Global Welfare State Information System (WeSIS), an interactive web-based platform developed by the Collaborative Research Centre (CRC) 1342 at the University of Bremen. WeSIS provides comprehensive global data on the development of social policies since 1880, covering over 1,400 indicators across areas such as health, education, family policy, labor, and international linkages. While WeSIS offers valuable resources for comparative welfare state research, the review identifies gaps in data coverage, particularly for post-Soviet states, and notes inconsistencies in historical coding. Continuous updates reflect its status as a "living object". Funded by the DFG, WeSIS combines original CRC data with international sources, supporting both macro-quantitative analysis and in-depth country studies.