https://github.com/cyanheads/imf-mcp-server
Query IMF SDMX 3.0 macroeconomic data — 193 dataflows, 190 countries, WEO projections, BOP, CPI, exchange rates, and national accounts via MCP. STDIO or Streamable HTTP.
https://github.com/cyanheads/imf-mcp-server
ai-agents ai-tools cyanheads economics imf mcp mcp-server model-context-protocol sdmx statistics typescript
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Query IMF SDMX 3.0 macroeconomic data — 193 dataflows, 190 countries, WEO projections, BOP, CPI, exchange rates, and national accounts via MCP. STDIO or Streamable HTTP.
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/cyanheads/imf-mcp-server
- Owner: cyanheads
- License: apache-2.0
- Created: 2026-06-05T02:35:04.000Z (20 days ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2026-06-13T03:45:41.000Z (12 days ago)
- Last Synced: 2026-06-13T05:22:26.995Z (12 days ago)
- Topics: ai-agents, ai-tools, cyanheads, economics, imf, mcp, mcp-server, model-context-protocol, sdmx, statistics, typescript
- Language: TypeScript
- Homepage: https://www.npmjs.com/package/@cyanheads/imf-mcp-server
- Size: 645 KB
- Stars: 0
- Watchers: 0
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 0
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- Changelog: CHANGELOG.md
- License: LICENSE
- Agents: AGENTS.md
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README
@cyanheads/imf-mcp-server
Query IMF SDMX 3.0 macroeconomic data — 193 dataflows, 190 countries, WEO projections, BOP, CPI, exchange rates, and national accounts via MCP. STDIO or Streamable HTTP.
5 Tools • 1 Resource
[](./CHANGELOG.md) [](./LICENSE) [](https://github.com/users/cyanheads/packages/container/package/imf-mcp-server) [](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/) [](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@cyanheads/imf-mcp-server) [](https://www.typescriptlang.org/) [](https://bun.sh/)
[](https://github.com/cyanheads/imf-mcp-server/releases/latest/download/imf-mcp-server.mcpb) [](https://cursor.com/en/install-mcp?name=imf-mcp-server&config=eyJjb21tYW5kIjoibnB4IiwiYXJncyI6WyIteSIsIkBjeWFuaGVhZHMvaW1mLW1jcC1zZXJ2ZXIiXX0=) [](https://vscode.dev/redirect?url=vscode:mcp/install?%7B%22name%22%3A%22imf-mcp-server%22%2C%22command%22%3A%22npx%22%2C%22args%22%3A%5B%22-y%22%2C%22%40cyanheads%2Fimf-mcp-server%22%5D%7D)
[](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@cyanheads/mcp-ts-core)
**Public Hosted Server:** [https://imf.caseyjhand.com/mcp](https://imf.caseyjhand.com/mcp)
---
## Tools
Five tools covering the full IMF SDMX 3.0 query workflow, plus a DuckDB-backed canvas layer for SQL analytics over large multi-country result sets:
| Tool | Description |
|:-----|:------------|
| `imf_list_databases` | List all IMF SDMX dataflows available on the portal (193 total), with optional name/ID substring filtering |
| `imf_get_database` | Fetch a dataflow's dimension list and complete codelist — resolves human terms to SDMX codes before querying |
| `imf_query_dataset` | Query a dataflow by dimension key over a time range; large result sets spill to DataCanvas |
| `imf_dataframe_describe` | List DataCanvas tables and columns staged by a prior `imf_query_dataset` call |
| `imf_dataframe_query` | Run a read-only SQL SELECT across staged DataCanvas tables for multi-country comparisons and aggregations |
### `imf_list_databases`
Entry point for every IMF query workflow — browse and filter the full dataflow catalog.
- 193 dataflows covering WEO projections, balance of payments, CPI, exchange rates, money/finance statistics, and national accounts
- Vintage (historical snapshot) dataflows excluded by default; set `include_vintages=true` to include them
- Case-insensitive substring filter across ID, name, and description
---
### `imf_get_database`
Resolve human-readable terms to SDMX dimension codes before querying.
- Returns all dimension IDs, positions, and their complete codelists (e.g. `"United States"` → `USA`, `"real GDP growth"` → `NGDP_RPCH`)
- Country codes are ISO 3-letter (USA, GBR, DEU — not US, GB, DE)
- `key_format` field shows the exact dot-separated dimension order required by `imf_query_dataset`
- Codelists truncated at 50 entries inline; use `codelist_filter` to search large codelists by substring (returns all matches, uncapped), or the `imf://database/{dataflow_id}` resource for the full list
---
### `imf_query_dataset`
Query an IMF SDMX dataflow by dimension key over a time range.
- Dot-separated key in DSD keyPosition order (e.g. `USA.NGDP_RPCH.A` for WEO annual real GDP growth)
- `+` syntax for multi-code positions (e.g. `USA+GBR+DEU.NGDP_RPCH.A`)
- Returns observations with `time_period`, `value`, `status`, and series attributes (`unit`, `scale`, `decimals`)
- Large multi-country or long time-range queries automatically spill to DataCanvas — `canvas_id` and `table_name` are returned for SQL follow-up
- `no_data` errors include availability context from the upstream constraint endpoint: `series_count=0` means the code has no coverage in the dataflow; `series_count>0` means the combination is wrong and `available_codes` lists what does have data
---
### `imf_dataframe_describe` / `imf_dataframe_query`
In-conversation SQL analytics over the observation tables that `imf_query_dataset` stages on a DuckDB-backed canvas.
When `imf_query_dataset` returns `truncated: true`, the full dataset is registered as a named table on the canvas. The workflow:
1. Call `imf_query_dataset` — if `truncated: true`, note the `canvas_id` and `table_name`
2. Call `imf_dataframe_describe` with the `canvas_id` to discover table schema
3. Call `imf_dataframe_query` with a SELECT statement for aggregations, cross-country comparisons, or time-series analysis
Only SELECT statements are accepted — DML and DDL are rejected. Requires `CANVAS_PROVIDER_TYPE=duckdb`.
## Resource
| Type | URI | Description |
|:-----|:----|:------------|
| Resource | `imf://database/{dataflow_id}` | Full metadata for a single IMF SDMX dataflow — all dimensions with complete codelists, `key_format`, name, and description. Stable URI-addressable reference for known dataflow IDs (WEO, BOP, CPI, etc.). |
All resource data is also reachable via `imf_get_database`. The resource URI provides the untruncated codelist for large dimensions that `imf_get_database` caps at 50 entries. The `codelist_filter` parameter on `imf_get_database` is a lighter alternative for targeted code lookup — it returns all substring matches without the cap.
## Data source
Data is sourced from the [International Monetary Fund SDMX 3.0 portal](https://data.imf.org/) under the [IMF Copyright and Terms of Use](https://www.imf.org/en/about/copyright-and-terms). The IMF's terms permit redistribution of statistical data with attribution. Each data-returning tool response includes a `source` field with the required attribution: `Source: International Monetary Fund, , https://data.imf.org/`.
## Features
Built on [`@cyanheads/mcp-ts-core`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@cyanheads/mcp-ts-core):
- Declarative tool, resource, and prompt definitions — single file per primitive, framework handles registration and validation
- Unified error handling — handlers throw, framework catches, classifies, and formats
- Pluggable auth: `none`, `jwt`, `oauth`
- Swappable storage backends: `in-memory`, `filesystem`, `Supabase`, `Cloudflare KV/R2/D1`
- Structured logging with optional OpenTelemetry tracing
- STDIO and Streamable HTTP transports
IMF SDMX-specific:
- Keyless access — no API key required; the IMF SDMX 3.0 portal is fully public
- Type-safe SDMX 3.0 compact JSON client with dimension/codelist parsing and DSD validation
- Key dimension count validated against the DSD before each query to catch format mismatches early
- Dataflow catalog cached in-session to minimize round trips on multi-step workflows
- DuckDB-backed DataCanvas spill for large multi-country or long time-range observations
Agent-friendly output:
- Codelist entries carry both the machine code and human-readable label — agents can present meaningful names without a follow-up lookup
- `key_format` field in every dataflow response explicitly states the dimension order, removing guesswork for key construction
- Observations include `status` flags (e.g. `E` for estimate) so agents can communicate data quality caveats
- Canvas spill is transparent — `truncated`, `canvas_id`, and `table_name` are always present in the output schema, letting callers branch on data rather than heuristics
## Getting started
### Public Hosted Instance
A public instance is available at `https://imf.caseyjhand.com/mcp` — no installation required. Point any MCP client at it via Streamable HTTP:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"imf-mcp-server": {
"type": "streamable-http",
"url": "https://imf.caseyjhand.com/mcp"
}
}
}
```
### Self-Hosted / Local
No API key required. Add the following to your MCP client configuration file.
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"imf-mcp-server": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "bunx",
"args": ["@cyanheads/imf-mcp-server@latest"],
"env": {
"MCP_TRANSPORT_TYPE": "stdio",
"MCP_LOG_LEVEL": "info"
}
}
}
}
```
Or with npx (no Bun required):
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"imf-mcp-server": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@cyanheads/imf-mcp-server@latest"],
"env": {
"MCP_TRANSPORT_TYPE": "stdio",
"MCP_LOG_LEVEL": "info"
}
}
}
}
```
Or with Docker:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"imf-mcp-server": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "docker",
"args": [
"run", "-i", "--rm",
"-e", "MCP_TRANSPORT_TYPE=stdio",
"ghcr.io/cyanheads/imf-mcp-server:latest"
]
}
}
}
```
To enable SQL analytics over large result sets, add `CANVAS_PROVIDER_TYPE=duckdb` to the `env` block.
For Streamable HTTP, set the transport and start the server:
```sh
MCP_TRANSPORT_TYPE=http MCP_HTTP_PORT=3010 bun run start:http
# Server listens at http://localhost:3010/mcp
```
### Prerequisites
- [Bun v1.3.0](https://bun.sh/) or higher (or Node.js v24+).
- No API key required.
### Installation
1. **Clone the repository:**
```sh
git clone https://github.com/cyanheads/imf-mcp-server.git
```
2. **Navigate into the directory:**
```sh
cd imf-mcp-server
```
3. **Install dependencies:**
```sh
bun install
```
4. **Configure environment:**
```sh
cp .env.example .env
# edit .env as needed — no required vars for basic use
```
## Configuration
| Variable | Description | Default |
|:---------|:------------|:--------|
| `CANVAS_PROVIDER_TYPE` | Set to `duckdb` to enable DataCanvas spill for large result sets. | — |
| `IMF_BASE_URL` | IMF SDMX 3.0 base URL. Override for testing or proxied environments. | `https://api.imf.org/external/sdmx/3.0` |
| `IMF_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_MS` | Per-request timeout in milliseconds. | `30000` |
| `MCP_TRANSPORT_TYPE` | Transport: `stdio` or `http`. | `stdio` |
| `MCP_HTTP_PORT` | Port for HTTP server. | `3010` |
| `MCP_AUTH_MODE` | Auth mode: `none`, `jwt`, or `oauth`. | `none` |
| `MCP_LOG_LEVEL` | Log level (RFC 5424). | `info` |
| `OTEL_ENABLED` | Enable [OpenTelemetry instrumentation](https://github.com/cyanheads/mcp-ts-core/tree/main/docs/telemetry). | `false` |
See [`.env.example`](./.env.example) for the full list of optional overrides.
## Running the server
### Local development
- **Build and run:**
```sh
bun run rebuild
bun run start:stdio
# or
bun run start:http
```
- **Run checks and tests:**
```sh
bun run devcheck # Lint, format, typecheck, security
bun run test # Vitest test suite
bun run lint:mcp # Validate MCP definitions against spec
```
### Docker
```sh
docker build -t imf-mcp-server .
docker run --rm -p 3010:3010 imf-mcp-server
```
The Dockerfile defaults to HTTP transport, stateless session mode, and logs to `/var/log/imf-mcp-server`. OpenTelemetry peer dependencies are installed by default — build with `--build-arg OTEL_ENABLED=false` to omit them.
## Project structure
| Path | Purpose |
|:-----|:--------|
| `src/index.ts` | `createApp()` entry point — registers tools/resources and inits services. |
| `src/config/server-config.ts` | Server-specific env var parsing and validation with Zod. |
| `src/mcp-server/tools/definitions/` | Tool definitions (`*.tool.ts`). |
| `src/mcp-server/resources/definitions/` | Resource definitions (`*.resource.ts`). |
| `src/services/canvas/` | DataCanvas accessor — wraps the framework canvas instance. |
| `src/services/imf-sdmx/` | IMF SDMX 3.0 API client — dataflow catalog, DSD fetching, data queries. |
| `tests/` | Unit and integration tests mirroring `src/`. |
| `docs/` | Design notes and directory tree. |
## Development guide
See [`CLAUDE.md`/`AGENTS.md`](./CLAUDE.md) for development guidelines and architectural rules. The short version:
- Handlers throw, framework catches — no `try/catch` in tool logic
- Use `ctx.log` for request-scoped logging, `ctx.state` for tenant-scoped storage
- Register new tools and resources via the barrels in `src/mcp-server/*/definitions/index.ts`
- Wrap external API calls: validate raw → normalize to domain type → return output schema; never fabricate missing fields
## Contributing
Issues and pull requests are welcome. Run checks and tests before submitting:
```sh
bun run devcheck
bun run test
```
## License
Apache-2.0 — see [LICENSE](LICENSE) for details.