countries have inadequate resources to
deal effectively with the poorer areas of the world, which, at least
from the economic point of view, are becoming further marginalized.
(For the specific economic problems of each country, see the
individual country entries in this volume.)
National product:
GWP (gross world product) - purchasing power equivalent - $29 trillion
(1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
2% (1993 est.)
National product per capita:
$5,200 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
developed countries:
5% (1993 est.)
developing countries:
50% (1993 est.)
note:
these figures vary widely in individual cases
Unemployment rate:
developed countries typically 6%-11%; developing countries, extensive
unemployment and underemployment (1993)
Exports:
$3.64 trillion (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
commodities:
the whole range of industrial and agricultural goods and services
partners:
in value, about 75% of exports from the developed countries
Imports:
$3.82 trillion (c.i.f., 1992 est.)
commodities:
the whole range of industrial and agricultural goods and services
partners:
in value, about 75% of imports by the developed countries
External debt:
$1 trillion for less developed countries (1993 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate -1% (1992 est.)
Electricity:
capacity:
2,864,000,000 kW
production:
11.45 trillion kWh
consumption per capita:
2,150 kWh (1990)
Industries:
industry worldwide is dominated by the onrush of technology,
especially in computers, robotics, telecommunications, and medicines
and medical equipment; most of these advances take place in OECD
nations; only a small portion of non-OECD countries have succeeded in
rapidly adjusting to these technological forces, and the technological
gap between the industrial nations and the less-developed countries
continues to widen; the rapid development of new industrial (and
agricultural) technology is complicating already grim environmental
problems
Agriculture:
the production of major food crops has increased substantially in the
last 20 years; the annual production of cereals, for instance, has
risen by 50%, from about 1.2 billion metric tons to about 1.8 billion
metric tons; production increases have resulted mainly from increased
yields rather than increases in planted areas; while global production
is sufficient for aggregate demand, about one-fifth of th