The World Bank announced yesterday that it is providing free and open access to its data, including the World Development Indicators database, at data.worldbank.org.

From the World Bank announcement:

Recognizing that transparency and accountability are essential to development, the World Bank Group now provides free, open, and easy access to its comprehensive set of data on living standards around the globe—some 2,000 indicators, including hundreds that go back 50 years. The data is available in Arabic, French, and Spanish in addition to English.