World Development Indicators 2004

Four years have passed since the Millennium Development Goals sharpened the focus on measuring the results of development-not the number of projects undertaken or the dollars spent, but the improvements in people's lives. The emphasis on quantitative targets and the requirement for monitoring progress on country poverty reduction strategies have increased the demand for statistics. And that showed us how deficient the statistical systems are in many parts of the developing world. Good statistics are not just a technical issue- they are a development issue, requiring concerted action by the entire global community. As Trevor Manuel, South Africa's minister of finance, has put it, "If you can't measure it, you…