Reference Datasets
What reference datasets are included beyond the main report?
Four dedicated reference datasets are available on Advanced and Ultimate plans, each designed for a specific type of cross-country cost analysis:
- Plant Construction Cost Indexes
- Plant Location Factors
- Labor Costs & Productivity Factors
- Industrial Utility Costs
All four reference datasets are updated monthly, and sit alongside the main report but serve a different purpose — they deliver data you can use directly in your own calculations, rather than comparative scores and rankings.
What each dataset measures and how it's built is set out in Which four datasets are included? on our methodology site.
How do the reference datasets take the analysis further?
The main report already includes nominal values — labor rates in USD/hour, country multipliers relative to the report country — but the reference datasets go further in four specific ways:
- Global comparison in one view. Plant Location Factors covers all 33 countries simultaneously, letting you compare construction cost levels across the full group in a single table. The report presents your country against the global benchmark; the reference datasets let you rank every country directly against each other.
- Fresher data. Reference datasets are updated with no data lag, so you're always working from the most current available figures.
- Finer breakdowns. The reference datasets go deeper than the report's pillar-level view. Labor Costs & Productivity Factors separates manufacturing labor by role (operator vs. supervisor). Industrial Utility Costs breaks out individual utility prices rather than the composite average used in the pillar. For utilities, each one typically has around three assessments (e.g., cash on-site, cash off-site, and contract price).
- Additional assessments and forecasts. The reference datasets include data series that don't feed directly into the pillar scores, plus forward-looking forecasts on construction costs and selected utility prices.
Together, the report and reference datasets work as a system: use the report to identify where structural advantages and constraints lie, then use the reference datasets to quantify them for your specific analysis.
Why reference datasets carry no lag, and the situations where you'd reach for one instead of the report, are covered in Why do reference datasets carry no four-month lag? and When is a reference dataset used? on our methodology site.
How do I estimate what a plant would cost in another country?
The Plant Location Factors reference dataset gives you monthly multipliers that translate plant construction costs from each of the 32 peer countries into your report country's basis.
Your report country is always the baseline (= 1.00). Each peer country has its own factor showing what its plants would cost if built in your country: a factor of 2.00 means a plant operating in that peer country would cost twice as much if built in your country, and a factor of 0.80 means it would cost 80% as much.
In a Germany report, India has a Location Factor of 2.00. A plant that costs $50M in India would cost approximately $100M if built in Germany. This gives you an instant cross-country CapEx comparison without re-engineering the plant design.
Factors are updated monthly. Why your report country is fixed at 1.00, and how to apply a factor to a specific cost estimate, are explained in Why is the report country set to 1.00? and How is a location factor applied to a cost estimate? on our methodology site.
Can I track how construction costs are changing?
Yes — the Plant Construction Cost Indexes track how capital costs for building manufacturing plants are evolving in each country, month by month, so you can see exactly how construction costs have moved over time.
Two common ways to use it:
- Updating a historical estimate: if you have a CapEx figure from a past project, multiply it by the ratio of the current index to the historical index to bring it to present-day values.
- Forecasting near-term costs: the indexes include a 6-month forecast, so you can anticipate where construction costs are heading before finalizing a budget.
A plant was budgeted at $80M when the index stood at 140. The current index is 175. Updated estimate: $80M × (175 ÷ 140) = $100M. If the 6-month forecast shows the index reaching 182, you can plan for further escalation.
What the index's base period is, what it measures, and how it's used to escalate a capital cost estimate are explained in What is the January 2000 = 100 baseline?, What do Plant Construction Cost Indexes measure?, and How is the index used to escalate capital costs? on our methodology site.
What labor cost data is available?
The Labor Costs & Productivity Factors reference dataset provides country-level workforce metrics across manufacturing and construction roles. This includes labor costs and prices for chemical plant operators and supervisors — the workforce categories most directly relevant to industrial plant operations.
The data covers both the cost of labor (what employers pay) and productivity indicators, giving you a fuller picture of workforce economics than wage figures alone.
What each of these measures covers, and how labor costs connect to the report's productivity-adjusted scoring, are set out in What does the Labor Costs and Productivity dataset cover? and How do labor costs connect to productivity-adjusted scoring? on our methodology site.
What utility prices does the solution cover?
The Industrial Utility Costs reference dataset provides prices for 10 industrial utilities used in manufacturing plant operations — steam, chilled water, cooling water, demineralized water, process water, compressed air, nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon monoxide. Prices are reported for the report country, and a 6-month forecast is included on selected series.
This data is useful for calibrating the utilities component of operating cost models for a specific country. It complements the Energy & Utilities Costs pillar in the main report — the pillar consolidates average energy and utility prices into a composite score, while the Industrial Utility Costs reference dataset presents individual utility prices at a more granular level (energy is not included).
What assumed capacity each utility is priced at, and what the different price assessments mean, are explained in Which ten utilities are priced, and at what assumed capacity? and What do on-site, off-site, and contract figures mean? on our methodology site.
Do any of the reference datasets include forecasts?
Yes — two of the four reference datasets include forward-looking data:
- Plant Construction Cost Indexes — include a 6-month forecast, updated monthly
- Industrial Utility Costs — include a 6-month forecast on selected utility price series
The other two — Plant Location Factors and Labor Costs & Productivity Factors — are based on current and historical data only.
How far each forecast reaches, and which specific series carry one, is covered in Which datasets include forecasts, and how far ahead? on our methodology site.
Are the reference datasets available on all plans?
No. All four reference datasets — Plant Construction Cost Indexes, Plant Location Factors, Labor Costs & Productivity Factors, and Industrial Utility Costs — are exclusive to Advanced and Ultimate plans. Starter and Pro plans do not include access to any of the reference datasets.
If you're currently on Starter or Pro and need the reference datasets, you can upgrade your plan at any time. The upgrade applies to your entire subscription (all covered countries): you pay the new plan's fee minus a prorated credit for the unused time on your current plan, and the upgraded subscription runs for another full year.