OECD Factbook 2009

Book excerpt: The Factbook is the OECD's most comprehensive and dynamic statistical annual. More than 100 indicators cover a wide range of areas: economy, agriculture, education, energy, environment, foreign aid, health and quality of life, industry, information and communications, population and labor force, trade and investment, taxation, public expenditure, and R&D. The focus of the 2009 edition is on inequalities in income, earnings, health, and education. Each indicator has a two-page spread: the left page provides a short introductory text followed by a detailed definition of the indicator, comments on comparability of the data, an assessment of related long-term trends, and a list of references for further information. The right page contains a table and a graph that provide--at a glance--the key message conveyed by the data. A dynamic link (StatLink) is provided for each table. It directs the user to a web page where the corresponding data are available in Excel(R) format.