The STAN database is a comprehensive tool for analysing industrial performance at a relatively detailed level of activity across countries. It includes annual measures of output, value added and its components, labour input, investment and capital stock, from 1970 onwards, which allow users to construct a wide range of indicators to focus on areas such as productivity growth, competitiveness and general structural change.

STAN uses a standard industry list compatible with those presented in related OECD databases which allows researchers to make comparisons across countries and provides sufficient detail to highlight high R&D intensive sectors.

STAN is primarily based on member countries' annual national accounts by activity tables and uses data from other sources, such as results from national business surveys/censuses.