Unicode CLDR (Common Locale Data Repository)

Business Profile

Core Value Proposition

Unicode CLDR (Common Locale Data Repository) provides the world's largest and most extensive standard repository of locale data, delivering key building blocks for software to support the world’s languages.

Target Customer

Software developers and organizations building software with internationalization/localization needs; language data contributors; companies using CLDR data via libraries (e.g., ICU, Closure, TwitterCLDR); organizations that participate via the Survey Tool.

Key Differentiator

Unicode-backed, collaboratively maintained locale data repository with broad, high‑level industry adoption and multiple data formats (LDML/XML and JSON), plus a formal contribution and governance process (Survey Tool and CLDR Technical Committee).

Implementation Timeline

CLDR operates on a regular release schedule with two cycles per year; translators focus on two key periods each cycle: Submission (data fleshing) and Vetting (consensus review). Current cycle details are published in the Current CLDR Cycle. Dates are typically aligned to Wednesdays and may adjust for holidays.

Pain Points

1Lack of a standardized, comprehensive, maintained locale data set for i18n/l10n across languages and regions
2Difficulty achieving consistency of locale conventions (dates, times, numbers, currencies, names, etc.) across platforms
3Complexity of distributing and consuming locale data in common development environments

Key Features

1Locale-specific patterns for formatting and parsing (dates, times, timezones, numbers, currency values, measurement units)
2Translations of names (languages, scripts, countries, currencies, eras, months, weekdays, etc.)
3Language and script information (characters, plural rules, gender, sorting/search rules, writing direction, transliteration, etc.)
4Country information (language usage, currency information, calendar preferences, week conventions)
5Validity data (definitions, aliases, and validity information for locales, languages, scripts, regions, and extensions)
6LDML XML format for locale data
7Usage by developers and libraries via i18n tooling (e.g., ICU, Closure, TwitterCLDR)
8Online Survey Tool for data contributions and locale additions
9JSON data representations and tooling (conversion utilities; JSON bindings, though some pages note the bindings are-out-of-date)

Target Customer Industries

Client Results

1CLDR data enables standardized i18n/l10n across software platforms; it is used by major tech companies (e.g., Apple, Google, IBM, Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, Oracle, SAP, Yahoo!, etc.) as part of their software ecosystems
2Data is contributed via the Survey Tool and maintained through a regular release process

Competitive Advantages

1Widely adopted by leading technology and software companies for standardized locale data
2Unicode maintains the data with community contributions via the Survey Tool and CLDR Technical Committee governance
3Multiple data formats and tooling support (LDML/XML and JSON; conversion utilities; library integrations)
4Two annual release cycles provide predictable planning for product teams

Key Benefits

1Standardized locale data for formatting, translations, and locale rules

2Extensive coverage of languages, scripts, regions, and related metadata

3Supports integration with popular i18n libraries (ICU, Closure, TwitterCLDR)

4Regular, predictable release cadence with community governance

5Accessible in multiple formats (LDML/XML and JSON) and via data distribution channels

Additional Product Information

Product Description

The CLDR provides the building blocks for software to support the world’s languages, offering a comprehensive, collaboratively maintained repository of locale data used for internationalization and localization.

Target Market

Software developers and organizations needing locale data for i18n/l10n, including entities contributing locale data and organizations integrating CLDR into their software stacks

Unique Value Proposition

A Unicode-backed, community-driven, comprehensive locale data repository that is widely used across major technology companies, with robust tooling and standard formats to enable reliable globalization of software

Technical Requirements

LDML/XML as the primary data format; CLDR data available via releases; JSON representations and conversion tools (e.g., Ldml2JsonConverter); integration via i18n libraries (ICU, Closure, TwitterCLDR); contribution through the Survey Tool

Pricing Model

Not stated

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