Publications

The World Statistics Pocketbook 2020 edition (Series V, No. 44) is the forty-fourth in a series of annual compilations of key statistical indicators prepared by the United Nations Statistics Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Up to 50 indicators from more than 20 international statistical sources are presented in one-page profiles for 30 world geographical regions and over 200 countries or areas of the world.

The Pocketbook profiles are organised into 5 sections; general information, economic indicators, major trading partners, social indicators, and environmental and infrastructure indicators. This issue presents data for the economic, social, environmental and infrastructure sections generally for three reference years ‐ 2010, 2015 and 2020 ‐ when available, or the most recent data previous to these years, back to 2000. For the general information and major trading partners sections the reference year is 2020 and 2019 respectively, unless otherwise footnoted. The indicators in the profiles cover the following topics: communication, crime, development assistance, education, energy, environment, finance, gender, health, international tourism, international trade, labour market, national accounts, population and migration, price and production indices and science and technology.

This issue is an update of the previous edition, released in 2019, entitled World Statistics Pocketbook 2019 edition (Series V, No. 43).

The technical notes contain brief descriptions of the concepts and methodologies used in the compilation of the indicators as well as information on the statistical sources for the indicators. Reference to primary sources of the data is provided for readers interested in longer time-series data or more detailed descriptions of the concepts or methodologies.

Prepared by the United Nations Statistics Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the World Statistics Pocketbook responds to General Assembly resolution 2626 (XXV), in which the Secretary-General is requested to supply basic national data that will increase international public awareness of countries' development efforts.