Statistical data

Statistics are a great way to introduce students to the state of affairs in the world. They provide a measurable indication of conditions and trends, and a means of comparison between countries, but we have to be careful with their use. Statistics are costly and difficult to collect, and data may be defined differently in different places and over time, or manipulated to create a preferred image. Often data is given nationally, and does not indicate the variation within a country. Students should be encouraged to ask: What is the data measuring or representing? What does the data not measure or represent? How accurate are these figures? What is the range of results that averages have come from? What are the many factors contributing to the present trends? What relationships, trends or implications can be drawn from the data? Compare these two statements In 2002 the total population of Australia was 19.5 million. People were born with a life expectancy of 79.2 years and only 6 out of 1000 babies did not reach their fifth birthday. There was no measure of the literacy rate. The average income was $US28,260 (Purchasing Power Parity), and the richest 10% were 12.5 times as richer than the poorest 10%. Most people (91.6 percent) lived in cities. There were 604 mobile phone subscribers and 482 internet users per 1000 people. Carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere per person was 18 metric tons. http://hdr.undp.org/statistics/data/cty/cty_f_AUS.html In 2002 the total population of India was 1,049.5 million, with a life expectancy of 63.7 years at birth. Roughly 93 out of 1000 babies did not reach their fifth birthday, and the literacy rate was 61.3 percent. The average income was $US 2,670 (Purchasing Power Parity) and the richest 10% were 7 times richer than the poorest 10%. Only 28.1 percent of people lived in cities. There were 12 mobile phone subscribers and 16 internet users per 1000 people. Carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere per person was 1.1 metric tons. http://hdr.undp.org/statistics/data/cty/cty_f_IND.html Suggested activities Use statistics to build a verbal description of a particular country or group of countries Predict the order of a set of countries according a number of different criteria, and note variations (eg. income does not always correlate with literacy rates or use of technology) Interpret a set of figures to present a positive and a negative impression Draw graphs or create a visual representation based on statistics around a particular theme (eg trees of differing sizes for environmental statistics, poverty, population distribution etc.) Make comparative statements based on a partner's visual representation of a set of statistics Collect statements and statistics used in the media, and investigate the data which support them Debate the use of a particular measure and its implications Useful resources Statistics Human Development Report (HDR) presents a wealth of statistical information on different aspects of human development. This year a 'build your own table' and animations of economic, human development and progress toward the Millennium Development Goals are accessible additions to the report. http://hdr.undp.org/statistics/data/ State of the World's Children: Annual report released by UNICEF http://www.unicef.org/sowc/ Progress on Millennium Development Goals http://www.undp.org/mdg/ Teaching materials Development Education modules http://www.worldbank.org/depweb/english/modules/index.html Cyberschoolbus http://cyberschoolbus.un.org/infonation3/menu/advanced.asp If the world were a village of 100 people http://www.miniature-earth.com/

2005 World Population Data Sheet URL:  http://www.prb.org/Publications/Datasheets/2005/2005WorldPopulationDataSheet.aspx The 2005 World Population Data Sheet contains the latest population estimates, projections, and other key indicators for all geographic entities with populations of 150,000 or more and all members of the United Nations, providing a look at regional and national contrasts in age structure, population growth, life expectancy and income. Information is provided on just how much separates rich from poor. Even in a world where rates of both infant mortality and population growth have been generally declining, and where both life expectancy and girls' education have been generally rising, More than one-half of the world's people live below the internationally defined poverty line. City Population: the Largest Cities in the World URL:  http://www.citypopulation.de/ This website contains statistics and maps about the population of the major agglomerations of the world. Information about the population of their administrative areas and the principal cities is provided, presented in tables as well as in interactive maps. The site also contains an FAQ page and links to further information. Create a Graph URL:  http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createagraph/default.aspx Users of this site from the US National Center for Education Statistics can select from five graph formats, decide on display options, add data, and generate a graph which can then be printed and/or saved. Demographic and Social Statistics (United Nations) URL:  http://unstats.un.org/unsd/default.htm Demographic and social statistics tables available from the United Nations Statistics Division website include: Demographic Yearbook, Population and Vital Statistics Report, Population of capital cities and cities of 100,000 and more inhabitants, Social Indicators, Statistics and indicators on women and men, United Nations Disability Statistics Database (DISTAT). Education for All Global Monitoring Report Data URL:  http://gmr.uis.unesco.org/selectIndicators.aspx Extensive data on Education for All in some 180 countries is available on the Global Monitoring Report website. This search tool, developed by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics in partnership with the EFA Global Monitoring Report team, is based on the data contained in the 2006 statistical annex tables. It enables a search by table, theme, indicator, country and region, and to export results into an Excel format. Environmental Resources Information Network (ERIN) URL:  http://www.environment.gov.au/erin/ The Environmental Resources Information Network (ERIN) is a unit within the Australian Department of the Environment and Heritage specialising in online data and information management, and spatial data integration and analysis. ERIN aims to improve environmental outcomes by developing and managing a comprehensive, accurate and accessible information base for environmental decisions. It includes data sets and information, maps, species distributions, documents and satellite imagery, and covers environmental themes ranging from threatened species to drought and pollution. ESCAP Population Data Sheet URL:  http://www.unescap.org/esid/psis/population/database/data_sheet/ This data sheet is published by the Population and Rural and Urban Development Division of ESCAP (Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific). It includes data on populations, annual growth rates, crude birth rates, crude death rates, life expectancy and other population-related statistics. Gapminder URL:  http://www.gapminder.org/ Gapminder is a non-profit venture for development and provision of free software that visualises human development and makes statistics speak volumes. There are collections of presentations, tools and handouts (charts) based on a variety of United Nations documents. Global Village URL:  http://www.gumption.org/2002/village/village.htm Imagine a tiny village of 100 people, where the demographics of the village mirror the demographics of the world's 6 billion people. Here's what that village would look like, circa 2000 using statistics tables from sources including the World Bank, CIA World factbook and United Nations in regard to: people, food, water, health, drugs, education, employment, information, agriculture, energy, geography, and objects. Human Development Reports Statistical Data URL:  http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/data/ Each year the Human Development Report (HDR) presents a wealth of statistical information on different aspects of human development. All these data are available for download in several different ways: by country, indicator or table, in Excel or PDF format, view them on screen or download for future reference, and animated charts highlighting important trends in development.