About the data
Definitions
Data sources

About the data

Over a period of 25 years or longer, cumulative processes of change reshape an economy and the social order built on that economy. This table highlights some of the notable trends that have been at work for much of the 20th century: the shift of production from agriculture to manufacturing and services; the reduction of the agricultural labor force and the growth of urban centers; the expansion of trade; the increasing size of the central government in most countries—and the reversal of this trend in some; and the monetization of economies that have achieved stable macroeconomic management.

All the indicators shown here appear elsewhere in the World Development Indicators. For more information about them, see tables 2.5 (labor force in agriculture), 3.10 (urban population), 4.2 (agriculture value added), 4.12 (central government revenues), 4.15 (money and quasi money), and 6.1 (trade).

Definitions

• Agriculture value added is the sum of outputs of the agricultural sector (International Standard Industrial Classification major divisions 1–5) less the cost of intermediate inputs measured as a share of gross domestic product (GDP). • Labor force in agriculture is the percentage of the total labor force recorded as working in agriculture, hunting, forestry, and fishing (ISIC major divisions 1–5). • Urban population is the share of the total population living in areas defined as urban in each country. • Trade is the sum of exports and imports of goods and services measured as a share of GDP. • Central government revenue includes all revenue to the central government from taxes and nonrepayable receipts (other than grants) measured as a share of GDP. • Money and quasi money is the sum of currency outside banks and demand deposits other than those of the central government, plus the time, savings, and foreign currency deposits of resident sectors other than the central government. This measure of the money supply is commonly called M2.

Data sources

The indicators here and throughout the rest of the book have been compiled by World Bank staff from primary and secondary sources. More information about the indicators and their sources can be found in the About the data, Definitions, and Data sources entries that accompany each table in subsequent sections.

THE WORLD BANK METHODOLOGY:

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                Definitions

                Debt indicators

----- On WORLD DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS

Size of the economy

Quality of life

Development progress

Trends in long-term development

Long-term structural change

Key indicators for other economies

Population

Land use and deforestation

Growth of output

Credit, investment and expenditures

Integration with the global economy

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