A unique and comprehensive source of information, the International Yearbook of Industrial Statistics is the only international publication providing economists, planners, policy makers and business people with worldwide statistics on current performance and trends in the manufacturing sector.This is the third issue of the annual publication which succeeds the UNIDO's Handbook of Industrial Statistics and, at the same time, replaces the United Nation's Industrial Statistics Yearbook, volume I (General Industrial Statistics). Covering more than 120 countries/areas, the 1997 edition of the Yearbook contains data which is internationally comparable and detailed in industrial classification. Information has been collected directly from national statistical sources and supplemented with estimates by UNIDO.The Yearbook is designed to facilitate international comparisons relating to manufacturing activity and industrial performance. It provides data which can be used to analyse patterns of growth, structural change and industrial performance in individual industries. Data on employment trends, wages and other key indicators are also presented. Finally, the detailed information presented here enables the user to study different aspects of individual manufacturing industries.