Resource information
Four years have passed since the
Millennium Development Goals sharpened the focus on
measuring the results of development-not the number of
projects undertaken or the dollars spent, but the
improvements in people's lives. The emphasis on
quantitative targets and the requirement for monitoring
progress on country poverty reduction strategies have
increased the demand for statistics. And that showed us how
deficient the statistical systems are in many parts of the
developing world. Good statistics are not just a technical
issue- they are a development issue, requiring concerted
action by the entire global community. As Trevor Manuel,
South Africa's minister of finance, has put it,
"If you can't measure it, you can't manage
it." That is why data, statistics, and indicators are
at the heart of the results agenda. Governments need them.
Politicians need them. Managers of development programs need
them. And citizens need them-to hold governments accountable
for their actions and their and their results. World
Development Indicators, the World Bank's statistical
publication, presents the most current and accurate
information on global development on both a national level
and aggregated globally. This information allows readers to
monitor the progress made toward meeting the Millennium
Development Goals, endorsed by the United Nations and its
member countries, the World Bank, and a host of partner
organizations in September 2001. This report contains over
80 tables and over 800 indicators for monitoring progress
for 152 economies and 14 country groups, as well as basic
indicators for a further 55 economies. There are key
indicators for the latest year available, important regional
data, and income group analysis. The report presents
analyses that center on six themes: World View, People,
Environment, Economy, States and Markets, and Global Links.
The latter theme touches such topics generally described as
movement of goods, financial flows and aid, and the movement
of people.
