Statistical Publications

reference publications containing statistics on the development of the various branches of the national economy and of the national economy as a whole. Publications are classified according to purpose (yearbooks, handbooks, anniversary editions, bulletins), scope (complete, brief), and extent of data (covering the economy as a whole or a single branch of the economy, covering the entire country or a republic or region). Other categories include departmental affiliation, format (books, journals), and periodicity (decennial, annual, quarterly, monthly, single-issue).

Regardless of purpose, statistical publications provide information (current state, developments) on such subjects as territory and population, science and scientific and technological progress, industry as a whole and the various branches of industry, agriculture, construction, transportation and communications, trade, finances and credit, foreign ties, education and culture, public health, labor and domestic life, material well-being, and the development of the national economy as a whole. The development of systems and methodologies for statistical publications is an inseparable part of statistics as a science, and the comparison and publication of statistics are among the more important functions (fulfilled according to a plan in the socialist countries) of statistical organizations. In the USSR, this work is done by the Central Statistical Board of the USSR and by the board’s bodies on the republic and local level.

Statistical works have been published systematically in Russia since the 19th century (Statistical Annals of the Russian Empire, 1866–94; Russian Yearbook, 1905–18). The first statistical publication in the USSR dealing with the national economy appeared in 1924. In 1925 it was supplemented with new material and published as The National Economy of the USSR in Numbers, which marked the first attempt to present a system of indexes pertaining to the development of the national economy of the USSR in a statistical publication. The statistical compilation The National Economy of the USSR has been published annually since 1956 (except 1958), and since 1957 statistical works on economic development have been published separately for each of the Union republics, krais, and oblasts.

Yearbooks are.the principal type of statistical publication in other countries as well. They are published in 126 countries, including all the members of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance. Since 1946 the United Nations and its specialized agencies have published a number of important statistical works, including the Statistical Yearbook, Demographic Yearbook,Yearbook of International Trade Statistics, and Yearbook of theUnited Nations. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization publishes the Yearbook of Food and Agricultural Statistics, as well as statistical yearbooks on the fishing and lumber industries. The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization publishes the International Yearbook of Education and the StatisticalYearbook. Many other international organizations publish their own yearbooks.