World Development Indicators 2004

Abstract

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.