Real Time Prices (RTP) is a live dataset compiled and updated weekly by the World Bank. It includes three sub-series: Real Time Food Prices (RTFP) for staple foods, Real Time Energy Prices (RTEP) for fuel, and Real Time Exchange Rates (RTFX). The data is sourced from the World Food Program, UN-FAO, select National Statistical Offices, and public exchange rate sources.
Use Cases
- Monitor weekly food price volatility based on the Real Time Food Prices (RTFP) sub-series.
- Analyze fuel price trends for energy security assessments based on the Real Time Energy Prices (RTEP) sub-series.
- Track unofficial and official exchange rate fluctuations based on the Real Time Exchange Rates (RTFX) sub-series.
- Build machine learning models for price estimation using the described methodology of combining direct measurement and ML imputation.
Strengths
- Updated weekly, with the last update recorded on 2026-03-15 18:41:31.356419.
- Compiled by the World Bank Development Economics Data Group (DECDG), an authoritative source.
- Integrates data from multiple sources including WFP, FAO, and National Statistical Offices.
- Uses a combination of direct price measurement and machine learning to estimate missing data.
Limitations
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
- Row count and dataset size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
- Data may reflect geographic and source bias inherent to the contributing organizations.
Provenance
- Source
- World Bank Development Economics Data Group (DECDG).
- Collection Method
- Combination of direct price measurement and machine learning estimation, using data from WFP, FAO, and National Statistical Offices.
- Time Range
- Historical and current, updated weekly.
- Freshness
- Updated weekly.
- Geography
- Mauritania.