World Economics - The Global Authority on Economic Data

Search:

The Numbers Racket

Devoted to illuminating the perilous state of economic data

How to Decimate a Country in Less Than 20 Years

In 1960, Italy’s GDP was 15% smaller than France’s, and 27% lower than the average of Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and France’s combined. However, this country enjoyed steady growth until the start of the 1990s as Italian household income caught up with the period’s norm for the other eurozone nations, so much so that around 1995 France and Italy’s GDPs converged and there came to be only a 6% difference between the average of the countries mentioned...

The European Union Must Defend Andreas Georgiou

Nicolas Veron argues that the relentless prosecutions against Georgiou are more than a matter of shameful harassment by Greece. Georgiou’s case also raises disturbing questions about the integrity of European statistical processes...

Modi-fication of Indian Data As Jobs Problem Emerges

Worrying signs have emerged over the last few months, that the rapid growth of recent years may be slowing down, and that India may have a jobs crisis in the making...

Most Read - Last 3 Years

Lords of Poverty

Neither Oxfam or the USA appears keen to see Rwanda start up a garment business. Here's why...

GDP Revisions Rewrite Economic History

Revisions of national accounts affect economic analysis, calling into question theoretical findings based on earlier data. Revisions to German national accounts have resulted in a markedly higher GDP in absolute terms and a lower volatility in ...

Time to Overhaul Global Trade Estimates

The rise of global production networks since the 1980s changed the way we understand international trade and has profound repercussions on development policies and the conduct of global governance. New comparative advantages allow large developing countries to leap...

Measuring Hyperinflation:
Venezuela's Episode

Venezuela now exhibits the 57th historic episode of hyperinflation as measured in the Hanke–Krus World Hyperinflation Table. Entry to the hyperinflation dataset depends on three qualifying criteria...

How Accurate Are China's National Balance Sheets?

The accuracy of data on China’s national balance sheets has attracted much less attention than that of the Gross Domestic Product reports. China’s Bureau of National Statistics has not released official national balance sheets, but two research teams...

Poor Economic Statistics & China's Consumption Myth

The generally held belief that China’s consumption is too low is a myth based on inadequate theory, a misreading of official statistics and the use of market exchange rates for making international comparisons. Chinese official statistics underestimate...

About World Economics

Economic data underpin almost all key investment decisions.

Yet the numbers on which so much weight is placed are badly flawed to an extent few realise.

Discover how World Economics provides investors, economists and governments with guides to what data can be trusted and what cannot.

Features

First India Economic Data

Indian Sales Managers January Survey
Shows Falling Sales and Staffing Levels

The Headline Sales Managers Index stayed at a 75 month low in January

Demographics

Japan Won’t Stop Surprising Us

Japan has handled it's demographic policies perfectly with the number of people on payrolls increasing over the past 10 years outperforming other developed economies.

First US Economic Data

U.S. Business Confidence Has Fallen to a 25 Month Low in January

Sales Managers Growth Indexes remain positive but subdued

OPEN ACCESS

A Statistician’s Prosecution For Slander

For the past nine years, Andreas Georgiou, the former president of Greece’s statistical agency, has been facing a series of prosecutions in the Greek courts.

Africa

Thrown Away Thrice

The shabby global second-hand clothes trade expires on the beaches of Africa

Global Growth

Economic Activity Slowed Sharply in 2019

The outlook for 2020 unlikely to be bright

In Depth: China

The Latest Insights, Data and Indicators Charting the Course of the Chinese Economy

Data Quality Ratings

This column is intended to review the accuracy & utility of economic data worldwide.

Data on GDP, Prices, Employment, Debt, and many other variables provide the basis for a host of crucial decisions by politicians, investors and businesses, but are often of extremely poor quality.and unsuited to the responsibility placed on them.

We start below with GDP Quality Ratings.