About this API
The BIS Data Portal exposes data through an SDMX RESTful interface (currently v1). Requests take the form stats.bis.org/api/v1/data/{flow}/{key}, where {flow} is a dataset identifier — for example WS_CBPOL (central bank policy rates), WS_LBS_D_PUB and WS_CBS_PUB (international banking statistics), WS_TC (credit to the non-financial sector), WS_DSR (debt service ratios), WS_EER (effective exchange rates) or WS_SPP (property prices). By default the server returns SDMX-ML (XML); a JSON (SDMX-JSON) response is obtained by sending the Accept: application/vnd.sdmx.data+json header. Structural resources (dataflow, datastructure, codelist) can be fetched separately to interpret dimensions and codes. Data covers current and historical series. Use is unrestricted provided the BIS is cited as the source.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an API key?
No. The BIS API is fully public and free — no registration and no key.
What data does this API return?
BIS international financial statistics: central bank policy rates, international banking statistics (LBS/CBS), credit to the non-financial sector and debt service ratios, effective exchange rates, property prices, OTC derivatives and FX turnover — current and historical, in the SDMX standard.
Can this API be called directly from a browser?
The endpoint returns a CORS header allowing calls from any domain, so it technically works from front-end code. In practice the default response is SDMX-ML (XML), and JSON requires a custom Accept header (application/vnd.sdmx.data+json) — bulky, structured payloads meant for server-side parsing. That is why there is no live "Try it" button here; the API is best called server-side.
Who runs this API?
The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) in Basel — an organisation of central banks. Full API documentation is available at stats.bis.org/api-doc/v1/.