Which is the best site to go for international economic statistics? As good as the sites of multilateral funding agencies like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund is an organisation which is known for its secrecy more than anything else. The Central Intelligence Agency. The ubiquitous foreign hand.

The CIA site at www.odci.gov/cia is considered to be among those which offer the most comprehensive data on international economics. Its CIA World Fact Book and the 1997 Handbook of International Economic Statistics can be accessed at the site. The data covers information on subjects as diverse as energy, chemicals and geography. There are separate sections on the economies of different countries.