Pocket World in Figures 2012 (Economist) [Hardcover]

After my review of the 2011 edition, I had hoped that some modicum of care would have been taken this time. I was disappointed, as many of last year's errors have been repeated.
Canada has again been relegated to a non-country, e.g
P46 omitted from industrial output rankings-should be about 10th with $350 bn.
P47 omitted from manufacturing rankings-should be 13th with $160 bn.
P47 omitted from services output- should be in 8th place with $978 bn.
P48 omitted from agricultural output-should be 15th with $27 bn.

Iran seems to have suffered a similar fate.
P46 omitted from industrial output- should be 19th with $145 bn.
P46 omitted from manufacturing output-should be 32nd with $36 bn.
P46 omitted from services output-should be 30th with $150 bn.
P47 omitted from agricultural output- should be 13th with $33 bn.
P36 omitted from official reserves- should be about 24th with c$87 bn.

Official reserves table strangely missing the U.K which with $82 bn should be 25th.

Industrial output rankings missing U.A.E -19th $140 bn, Venezuela 22nd $119 bn,Nigeria 31st $71 bn.Joint 37th Israel and Kuwait with $60 bn each.

Manufacturing rankings seem to be missing Israel 28th with $42bn,

Services rankings missing Venezuela -26th $194 bn,Israel 34th $127 bn,New Zealand 38th $90 bn ,U.A.E 41st with $87 bn.and Nigeria 48th with $46 bn.

Oil reserves P55 are said to include shale oil and oil sands. I think not, otherwise Canada would be up there with Saudi Arabia.

P 71 has a new rankings for Km travelled by car per person.
Apparently the average Peruvian travels 4,000 km more than an American.
the average person from Tunisia,Pakistan,Ecuador,Chile and Morocco 4 to 10.000 more than those of Germany or the U.K. Even the average Indian almost as much as an Italian,Many other rankings are also highly dubious if not downright daft.

As an earlier reviewer has pointed out, P75 has the U.K's rail network overstated by some 15,000 km.
Rail Freight figures on the same page have 2008 data for China,Russia,south Africa,Belarus,Iran and Turkmenistan.this should have been pointed out.

P.44 states again that Israel receives aid but does not disclose amounts. I think the publishers should exhibit a little bravery and give an estimate- probably in the 3 to 5 billion dollar range.

P234 the figures given for % of U.K GDP, Exports 11,Imports 14 are drivel.

Probably a typo-p.251 has Cyprus PPP GDP per head $38,050 .should be $8,000 less.

P244- not a typo has Euro Area pop. annual growth 2010-15 as 2.25% should be 0.5%

The named production team at the front of the book is unchanged from last year.
Some of them must be blamed for the dog's breakfast this year and previously.
The chief blame however falls on the editor(assuming they have one),who is plainly not fit for purpose.

Fascinating and useful.
I've bought this book for the past two years (and The Economist itself for the past 30).
Apart from one small mistake I've spotted, which states the UK's rail network is as large as France's, this is a well-researched, clearly laid out and absorbing publication.

This is a probably the best mini-reference book available although as with any traditional reference title the stats can never be up to date. It's the perfect "at hand" title and complements my other regular reference purchase, the New York Times Almanac.