Purchasing Power Parities and the Real Size of World Economies (A Comprehensive Report of the 2011 International Comparison Program)

The publication presents the detailed results of the 2011 International Comparison Program (ICP). The ICP is a worldwide statistical initiative that aims to estimate Purchasing Power Parities (PPPs) to be used as currency converters to compare the size and price levels of economies around the world. The program involved 199 economies from eight geographic regions: Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Commonwealth of Independent States, Latin America, the Caribbean, Western Asia, Pacific Islands, and the countries of the regular PPP program managed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the Statistical Office of the European Communities (Eurostat). The work reported herein was conducted by national implementing agencies that collected the necessary data in each economy; the regional coordination agencies that supported country activities, compiled the results and produced regional estimates; and the ICP Global Office, which coordinated and managed the work at the global level. The 2011 ICP results form a crucial information base for research in comparative analysis and policy making. They include PPPs and real expenditure values for GDP and its main aggregates for the reference year 2011 for 199 participating economies.