pixieweb is an R client for PX-Web statistical APIs. It provides a pipe-friendly, tibble-based interface for discovering and downloading data from national statistics agencies — including SCB (Sweden), SSB (Norway), Statistics Finland, and more.
Note on pxweb: The excellent pxweb package by rOpenGov already provides comprehensive R access to PX-Web APIs. pixieweb is not a replacement — it offers an alternative paradigm built around search-then-fetch discovery and progressive disclosure. If you already use pxweb and it works for you, there is no need to switch. Choose the workflow that fits your needs.
Installation
Install the development version from GitHub:
# install.packages("pak")
pak::pak("lchansson/pixieweb")Quick start
library(pixieweb)
# Connect to Statistics Sweden
scb <- px_api("scb", lang = "en")
# Search for tables about population
tables <- get_tables(scb, query = "population")
# Inspect variables in a table
vars <- get_variables(scb, tables$id[1])
# Download data
data <- get_data(scb, tables$id[1])Features
- Search-then-fetch workflow: Discover tables, inspect variables, then download data
- Multiple APIs: Built-in catalogue of Nordic and European statistical agencies
-
Selection helpers:
px_all(),px_top(),px_bottom(),px_from(),px_to(),px_range()for concise variable selections - Automatic chunking: Large queries are split and rate-limited automatically
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Persistent caching: Cache responses to disk with
pixieweb_cache_dir() - v1 and v2 support: Works with both PX-Web API versions