The UNCTAD Handbook of Statistics provides essential data for analysing and measuring world trade, investment, international financial flows and development. Reliable statistical information is often considered as the first step during the preparation of recommendations or decisions that will commit countries for many years as they strive to integrate into the world economy and improve the living standards of their citizens. Whether it is for research, consultation or technical cooperation, UNCTAD needs comparable, often detailed economic, demographic and social data, over several decades and for as many countries as possible.
In addition to facilitating the work of the secretariat’s economists, the UNCTAD Handbook of Statistics also enables other users, such as policymakers, research specialists, academics, officials from national governments or international organizations, executive managers or members of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from developing, transition or developed countries to have access to this rich statistical information. The Handbook further offers journalists comprehensive information in a presentation that meets their needs.
This publication is available in printed copy and DVD. Moreover, the underlying data of the Handbook are available online at UNCTADstat. Unlike the Handbook, which captures statistics at one point of time, UNCTADstat is continuously updated, enriched and provides users with the latest available data. In this regard, users should use caution when comparing data between the Handbook and UNCTADstat, as the date of update may differ.
The list of the country groupings presented in the DVD version of this new edition of the Handbook has been aligned with the list of groupings included in the UNCTADstat database. To help us provide better and more relevant statistics to users, you are invited to send your comments to statistics@unctad.org.
