International agencies
Private and nongovernmental organizations
Defining, gathering, and disseminating international statistics is a collective effort of many people and organizations. The indicators presented in the World Development Indicators are the fruit of decades of work at many levels, from the field workers who have administered censuses and household surveys in every part of the world to the committees and working parties of the national and international statistical agencies that have developed the nomenclature, classifications, and standards that are fundamental to an international statistical system. Nongovernmental organizations and the private sector have also made important contributions, both in gathering primary data and in organizing and publishing their results. And academic researchers have played a crucial role in developing statistical methods and carrying on a continuing dialogue about the quality and interpretation of statistical indicators. What all these contributors have in common is a strong belief that accurate data, readily available, will improve the quality of public and private decisionmaking.
Statistical indicators are a classic example of a public good. Like all information, they are costly to collect, but once available in a convenient form, they can be shared widely at little additional cost and with no diminution of their value. Indeed, it is of benefit for all to have good information widely shared. One of the consequences of the public nature of statistical indicators, however, is that they are often taken for granted and the work of those who developed them goes unacknowledged. In the new World Development Indicators we want to take a first step toward correcting this situation by identifying the organizations that have contributed data directly to this volume. We recognize that such a list omits many others whose work is no less vital. In the future we hope to see our list of partners grow. In the meantime we wish to acknowledge our debt and gratitude to all those whose efforts have helped to build a base of comprehensive, quantitative information about the world and its people.