World Development Indicators 2014

Page 105

States and markets 5 method takes only research and development intensity into account,

technology. Postpaid subscriptions and active prepaid accounts (that

but other characteristics of high technology are also important, such

is, accounts that have been used during the last three months) are

as knowhow, scientific personnel, and technology embodied in pat-

included. The indicator applies to all mobile cellular subscriptions

ents. Considering these characteristics would yield a different list

that offer voice communications and excludes subscriptions for data

(see Hatzichronoglou 1997).

cards or USB modems, subscriptions to public mobile data services, private-trunked mobile radio, telepoint, radio paging, and telemetry

Definitions

services. • Individuals using the Internet are the percentage of

• Business entry density is the number of newly registered limited

individuals who have used the Internet (from any location) in the last

liability corporations per 1,000 people ages 15–64. • Time required

12 months. Internet can be used via a computer, mobile phone, per-

to start a business is the number of calendar days to complete the

sonal digital assistant, games machine, digital television, or similar

procedures for legally operating a business using the fastest pro-

device. • High-technology exports are products with high research

cedure, independent of cost. • Stock market capitalization (also

and development intensity, such as in aerospace, computers, phar-

known as market value) is the share price times the number of shares

maceuticals, scientific instruments, and electrical machinery.

outstanding. • Domestic credit provided by financial sector is all credit to various sectors on a gross basis, except to the central

Data sources

government, which is net. The financial sector includes monetary

Data on business entry density are from the World Bank’s Entre-

authorities, deposit money banks, and other banking institutions

preneurship Database (www.doingbusiness.org/data/exploretopics

for which data are available. • Tax revenue collected by central

/entrepreneurship). Data on time required to start a business are

government is compulsory transfers to the central government for

from the World Bank’s Doing Business project (www.doingbusiness

public purposes. Certain compulsory transfers such as fines, penal-

.org). Data on stock market capitalization are from Standard &

ties, and most social security contributions are excluded. Refunds

Poor’s (2012). Data on domestic credit are from the IMF’s Inter-

and corrections of erroneously collected tax revenue are treated as

national Financial Statistics. Data on central government tax rev-

negative revenue. The analytic framework of the IMF’s Government

enue are from the IMF’s Government Finance Statistics. Data on

Finance Statistics Manual 2001 (GFSM 2001) is based on accrual

military expenditures are from SIPRI’s Military Expenditure Database

accounting and balance sheets. For countries still reporting govern-

(www.sipri.org/databases/milex). Data on electricity consumption

ment finance data on a cash basis, the IMF adjusts reported data

are from the IEA’s Energy Statistics of Non-OECD Countries, Energy

to the GFSM 2001 accrual framework. These countries are foot-

Balances of Non-OECD Countries, and Energy Statistics of OECD

noted in the table. • Military expenditures are SIPRI data derived

Countries and from the United Nations Statistics Division’s Energy

from NATO’s former definition (in use until 2002), which includes

Statistics Yearbook. Data on mobile cellular phone subscriptions and

all current and capital expenditures on the armed forces, including

individuals using the Internet are from the ITU’s World Telecommu-

peacekeeping forces; defense ministries and other government agen-

nication/ICT Indicators database. Data on high-technology exports

cies engaged in defense projects; paramilitary forces, if judged to

are from the United Nations Statistics Division’s Commodity Trade

be trained and equipped for military operations; and military space

(Comtrade) database.

activities. Such expenditures include military and civil personnel, including retirement pensions and social services for military per-

References

sonnel; operation and maintenance; procurement; military research

Beck, Thorsten, and Ross Levine. 2001. “Stock Markets, Banks, and

and development; and military aid (in the military expenditures of the

Growth: Correlation or Causality?” Policy Research Working Paper

donor country). Excluded are civil defense and current expenditures

2670, World Bank, Washington, DC.

for previous military activities, such as for veterans benefits, demo-

Claessens, Stijn, Daniela Klingebiel, and Sergio L. Schmukler. 2002.

bilization, and weapons conversion and destruction. This definition

“Explaining the Migration of Stocks from Exchanges in Emerging

cannot be applied for all countries, however, since that would require

Economies to International Centers.” Policy Research Working Paper

more detailed information than is available about military budgets

2816, World Bank, Washington, DC.

and off-budget military expenditures (for example, whether military

Demirgüç-Kunt, Asli, and Ross Levine. 1996. “Stock Market Devel-

budgets cover civil defense, reserves and auxiliary forces, police

opment and Financial Intermediaries: Stylized Facts.” World Bank

and paramilitary forces, and military pensions). • Electric power consumption per capita is the production of power plants and com-

Economic Review 10 (2): 291–321. Hatzichronoglou, Thomas. 1997. “Revision of the High-Technology

bined heat and power plants less transmission, distribution, and

Sector and Product Classification.” STI Working Paper 1997/2.

transformation losses and own use by heat and power plants, divided

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Direc-

by midyear population. • Mobile cellular subscriptions are the number of subscriptions to a public mobile telephone service that provides access to the public switched telephone network using cellular

Economy

States and markets

torate for Science, Technology, and Industry, Paris. Standard & Poors. 2012. Global Stock Markets Factbook 2012. New York.

Global links

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