Tag Archives: World Factbook

The Central Intelligence Agency announced that it has discontinued its premier world information resource, The World Factbook, as of February 4, 2026.

The World Factbook provided basic reference information about countries all over the world, making it a reliable resources for students, teachers, and the general public, as well as its original audience, the U.S. intelligence community.

Though it’s origins date back to WWII, predating the CIA itself, the National Basic Intelligence Factbook was published in 1962 a classified resource used by U.S. intelligence organizations. It first became available to the general public in 1975 as The Factbook (rebranded as The World Factbook in 1981). It went digital in 1997, where it lived on the CIA website until this week. You can read more about the history of the World Factbook here: https://www.cia.gov/stories/story/history-of-the-world-factbook/