DESA News

Volume 15, No.5 - May 2011

Publications and websites


Statistical compilations

Handbooks

Handbook on the Least Developed Country Category: Inclusion, Graduation and Special Support Measures (now available in French)

Handbook on the Least Developed Country Category: Inclusion, Graduation and Special Support Measures (now available in French)

This Handbook is now available in French and it aims at promoting a better understanding of the LDC category and the benefits derived from membership therein. It contains a comprehensive explanation of the criteria, procedures and methodology used by the Committee for Development Policy for establishing which countries are eligible for inclusion in, or recommended for graduation from, the LDC category. It also provides an overview of the international support measures that can be derived from having least developed country status and the implications of graduating from the list in terms of the potential loss of such measures.

For more information: http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/policy/cdp/cdp_publications_archive.shtml

Statistical compilations

Monthly Bulletin of Statistics and MBS Online

Monthly Bulletin of Statistics and MBS Online

The Monthly Bulletin of Statistics presents current economic and social statistics for more than 200 countries and territories of the world. It contains over 50 tables of data on a variety of subjects illustrating important economic trends and developments, including population, prices, employment and earnings, energy, manufacturing, transport, construction, international merchandise trade and finance.

Vol. LXV – No. 3, March 2011

This month, the following tables, which are featured in the MBS on a quarterly or bimonthly basis, are presented along with the regular recurrent monthly tables: Fuel imports, developed economies: unit value and volume indices; value; Indicators on fuel imports, developed economies; Registration of new motor vehicles; External trade conversion factors; Manufactured goods exports: unit value indices, volume indices and value; Selected series of world statistics.

For more information: http://unstats.un.org/unsd/mbs

 

Demographic Yearbook 2008

Demographic Yearbook 2008

Demographic Yearbook 2008, the sixtieth in a series since 1948, is now available in print. Through the cooperation with the National Statistical Offices, official demographic statistics are compiled in the Yearbook, as available, for more than 230 countries and areas of the world.

 

This edition of the Yearbook contains chapters on the population size and distribution, the population of capital cities, fertility, fetal mortality, infant and maternal mortality, general mortality, nuptiality and divorce. Live births and crude birth rates as well as deaths and crude death rates are displayed for the latest five years, together with the age-specific fertility and mortality rates for the latest available year. It also features two non-recurrent tables on general mortality, cause specific deaths and death rates, and probabilities of dying as of the latest official life tables reported for each country.

For more information: http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/dyb/dyb2008.htm

Publications in other languages

The following publications are now available in other languages:

  • Designing Household Survey Samples: Practical Guidelines (Chinese, Russian)
  • Handbook on Geospatial Infrastructure in Support of Census Activities (Russian)

Meeting records

Final Report on the 49th Session of the Commission for Social Development

The Commission adopted draft resolutions entitled “Modalities for the second review and appraisal of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, 2002”, “Policies and programmes involving youth”, “Further promotion of equalization of opportunities by, for and with persons with disabilities and mainstreaming disability in the development agenda”, “Preparation for and observance of the twentieth anniversary of the International Year of the Family” and “Social dimensions of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development”.

For more information: http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/csocd/2011-resolutions.html

Discussion papers

 

Monthly Briefing on the World Economic Situation and Prospects

The April monthly briefing highlights the ripple effects of Japan’s triple disaster (earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident) and of the political unrest in the Middle East and North Africa. Inflationary pressures resulting from rising oil and food prices have led many Governments to tighten monetary policies.

For more information: http://www.un.org/esa/policy/publications/dpad_wespmbn.html

Websites

Identifying Asset Bubbles: The Role of a National Statistical Office

Identifying Asset Bubbles: The Role of a National Statistical Office

Asset price bubbles are the subject of much debate in economic circles after the 2008 global economic and financial crisis. While there is considerable interest in bubbles, their identification poses a number of challenges for the national statistical offices. The site serves as a global consultation forum with papers and presentations on “identifying bubbles” prepared for the Fifteenth Conference of the Commonwealth Statisticians.

To browse: http://unstats.un.org/unsd/Identifying_Bubbles/Identifying_Bubbles.htm