Wikipedia has most of the basics covered: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_domestic_product https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_domestic_product. Global inf

Wikipedia has most of the basics covered: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_domestic_product https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_domestic_product. Global inflation numbers are also in World bank data: http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/FP.CPI.TOTL.ZG http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/FP.CPI.TOTL.ZG. "official" data sources and aggregators (national statistics bureaus), IMF, World Bank, FRED can be heavy on economics jargon. Trading economics is probably a bit friendlier for the layperson.