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What is PxWeb?

The GSS StatsBank API is built on PxWeb technology, a standardized API framework developed by Statistics Sweden and used by statistical agencies worldwide. PxWeb provides a consistent, RESTful interface for accessing statistical databases programmatically.
PxWeb is maintained by Statistics Sweden (SCB) and is used by numerous national statistical offices globally, ensuring reliability and adherence to international standards.

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How PxWeb Works

PxWeb organizes statistical data using a hierarchical file-system-like structure: 
API Base URL
└── Databases (e.g., "PHC 2021 StatsBank", "GLSS7")
    └── Topics (e.g., "Water and Sanitation", "Population")
        └── Tables (e.g., "waterDisposal_table.px")
Think of the API like a file explorer on your computer: it has a hierarchy of “folders” (Databases and Topics) that eventually lead to “files” (Tables).

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Key Characteristics

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RESTful Architecture

The PxWeb API follows REST principles:
  • GET requests retrieve information about available databases, topics, and table metadata
  • POST requests retrieve actual data from tables with specified filters and format

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Table Identification

Tables in the PxWeb system are identified by the .px extension: 
# Example table names
"waterDisposal_table.px"
"mainwater_table.px"
"timetaken.px"
When you reach a path ending in .px, you’ve found a data table rather than a navigation folder.

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Standardized Response Format

The API returns JSON responses at each navigation level:
At the root level, the API returns available databases:
[
  {
    "dbid": "PHC 2021 StatsBank",
    "text": "PHC 2021 StatsBank"
  },
  {
    "dbid": "GLSS7",
    "text": "GLSS7"
  }
]
Within a database, the API returns available topics:
[
  {
    "id": "Water and Sanitation",
    "text": "Water and Sanitation"
  },
  {
    "id": "Population",
    "text": "Population"
  }
]
Notice that the root level uses "dbid" while sub-levels use "id" for identification.
When you reach a table, the API returns metadata including available variables:
{
  "variables": [
    {
      "code": "WaterDisposal",
      "text": "Water Disposal Method",
      "values": ["Total households", "Through sewerage system", ...]
    },
    {
      "code": "Geographic_Area",
      "text": "Geographic Area",
      "values": ["Ghana", "Western", ...]
    }
  ]
}

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API Endpoints

The GSS StatsBank API base URL is: 
https://statsbank.statsghana.gov.gh:443/api/v1/en/
Endpoints are constructed by appending the database, topic, and table names: 
{base_url}/{database}/{topic}/{table}

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Example Endpoint

https://statsbank.statsghana.gov.gh:443/api/v1/en/PHC%202021%20StatsBank/Water%20and%20Sanitation/waterDisposal_table.px
Spaces in database, topic, and table names are URL-encoded as %20 in the actual HTTP requests.

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Official Documentation

For detailed technical specifications of the PxWeb API, refer to the official documentation: PxWeb API Documentation (PDF) The official documentation includes:
  • Complete API specification
  • Advanced query filter options
  • Supported response formats
  • Error handling guidelines

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