Australian Bureau of Statistics MCP server

This MCP server provides access to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Data API, allowing AI assistants to query and analyze statistical data through the SDMX-ML API. It handles dataset discovery, filtering, and supports multiple data formats with caching for improved performance.

Installation and Setup

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18 or higher
• npm 8 or higher

Installing the Server

Install the required dependencies:

npm install

Building the Server

Compile the TypeScript code:

npm run build

Starting the Server

Run the server:

npm start

Usage

Connecting with Claude Desktop

1. Close Claude Desktop if it's currently running
2. Start the ABS MCP server: npm start
3. Launch Claude Desktop
4. The ABS tools should automatically appear in the "Available MCP Tools" window

Available Features

• Dataset Discovery: Automatically identifies all available ABS datasets
• Data Queries: Retrieve data with optional filters
• Multiple Formats: Support for JSON, CSV, and XML responses
• Performance Optimization: Built-in caching system improves response times

Using the MCP Inspector

For testing purposes, you can run the MCP inspector:

npm run inspector

ABS API Integration

The server communicates with the ABS Data API using:

• SDMX-ML format for data exchange
• Support for multiple response formats
• Robust error handling and logging
• Configurable timeouts and retries

External Documentation

For more information about the underlying ABS Data API:

• SDMX-ML Documentation
• ABS API Documentation

How to install this MCP server

For Claude Code

To add this MCP server to Claude Code, run this command in your terminal:

claude mcp add-json "abs" '{"command":"npm","args":["start"]}'

See the official Claude Code MCP documentation for more details.

For Cursor

There are two ways to add an MCP server to Cursor. The most common way is to add the server globally in the ~/.cursor/mcp.json file so that it is available in all of your projects.

If you only need the server in a single project, you can add it to the project instead by creating or adding it to the .cursor/mcp.json file.

Adding an MCP server to Cursor globally

To add a global MCP server go to Cursor Settings > Tools & Integrations and click "New MCP Server".

When you click that button the ~/.cursor/mcp.json file will be opened and you can add your server like this:

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "abs": {
            "command": "npm",
            "args": [
                "start"
            ]
        }
    }
}

Adding an MCP server to a project

To add an MCP server to a project you can create a new .cursor/mcp.json file or add it to the existing one. This will look exactly the same as the global MCP server example above.

How to use the MCP server

Once the server is installed, you might need to head back to Settings > MCP and click the refresh button.

The Cursor agent will then be able to see the available tools the added MCP server has available and will call them when it needs to.

You can also explicitly ask the agent to use the tool by mentioning the tool name and describing what the function does.

For Claude Desktop

To add this MCP server to Claude Desktop:

1. Find your configuration file:

• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
• Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
• Linux: ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

2. Add this to your configuration file:

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "abs": {
            "command": "npm",
            "args": [
                "start"
            ]
        }
    }
}

3. Restart Claude Desktop for the changes to take effect