The latest edition of UNCTAD´s Handbook of International Trade and Development Statistics(1) (464 pages) has just been published. It constitutes a comprehensive instrument for assessing the extent of globalization. It shows the degree of integration of individual nations and regional economic groupings into the world economy, with a special emphasis on developing countries. The Handbook provides homogeneous and detailed analytical data on all countries. It complements other statistical publications of the United Nations, such as the Statistical Yearbook and the Yearbook of International Trade Statistics, as well as more specific series published by UNCTAD such as the World Investment Report, the Handbook of World Mineral Trade Statistics, and the monthly Commodity Price Bulletin.
The Handbook encompasses the following themes:
- International trade in goods: value, trends, structure, volume, unit value, and terms of trade indices (in parts I to IV and part VII);
- Balance of payments, foreign direct investment, financial resource flows and external indebtedness (part V);
- Basic indicators of development, such as per capita GDP and annual average growth rates, GDP by type of expenditure and by kind of economic activity (part VI);
- Network of world exports by selected commodity classes and regions (in Annex).