Social indicators covering a wide range of subject-matter fields are compiled by the Statistics Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat, from many national and international sources.

The indicators presented here consist mainly of the minimum list which has been proposed for follow-up and monitoring implementation of major United Nations conferences on children, population and development, social development and women. This minimum list is contained in the Report of the Expert Group on the Statistical Implications of Recent Major United Nations Conferences (E/CN.3/AC.1/1996/R.4).

Technical background on the development of social indicators is contained in two United Nations publications, Handbook on Social Indicators (United Nations publication, Series F, No. 49, 1989) and Towards a System of Social and Demographic Statistics (United Nations publication, Series F, No. 18, 1975).