stata

Stata is a commercial statistical software package used for data management, statistical analysis, and graphics. It combines a command-driven language with a graphical user interface, documenting procedures in scripts called do-files and ado-files. Developed by StataCorp LLC, the first release appeared in 1985 as Stata and has since evolved through multiple editions and updates. It is widely used in disciplines such as economics, sociology, epidemiology, political science, and public policy.

Stata provides extensive data-management capabilities for large datasets, a broad suite of statistical procedures (descriptive statistics, regression models, generalized linear models, time-series and panel data methods, survival analysis, multi-level modeling), and high-quality graphics for exploratory data analysis and publication. It includes Mata, a built-in matrix programming language for performance-oriented computations, and supports extensibility through ado-files and Do-files for scripting and automation. Stata/IC, Stata/SE, and Stata/MP editions address varying data sizes and processing power, with Stata/MP enabling multi-core parallel computation.

Stata runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux and emphasizes reproducible research through scripts. It offers interfaces to other languages, including Python and R, allowing users to exchange data and call external routines as part of analyses.

Stata is a proprietary product licensed by StataCorp with periodic major updates and annual service releases. A global user community contributes through user groups, web resources, and the Stata Journal, which publishes methodology and applications.