The Economist Book of Vital World Statistics is a unique source of facts about the modern world: essential reading for decision-makers; fascinating and illuminating browsing for everyone. At a glance, you can see which are the richest and poorest nations; which have the most serious debt problem, the highest industrial growth rate and the healthiest export record; which spend the most per head on sectors as diverse as advertising and defence; which have the highest ownership level of cars, VCRs and microwave ovens; which have the lowest cost of living and the highest murder rate; and which have the best and worst records on environmental pollution. Charts and diagrams highlight important regional and national variations, and lively text provides expert analysis of key issues and underlying trends. The Economist is the world's most authoritative weekly magazine dealing with international politics, business and finance. The Economist Books is the specialist book publishing arm of The Economist Group and joint publisher with Hutchinson of The Economist Atlas, The Economist Guides and a growing list of reference and business books.