Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2009
December 31, 2008

Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2009
http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/statab2006_2009.html
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/
The U.S. Census Bureau released the new Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2009. First published in 1878, “Uncle Sam’s Almanac” is a summary of statistics on a wide range of important topics, from A (aquaculture) to Z (zinc production). Whether one seeks numbers on biofuel or banking, foreign trade or foreign aid, cars or bars, there is no better one-stop shop for statistics. For example, the average length of stay for patients at community hospitals declined from 7.2 days in 1990 to 5.5 days in 2006. Yet over the same period, the average cost per patient stay climbed 81 percent, from $4,947 to $8,970. Also, Americans are spending more on retail prescription drugs. Drug sales climbed from $72.2 billion in 1995 to $259.4 billion in 2007, with the majority of spending shifting from brand name to generic (60 percent brand name in 1995, less than 42 percent in 2007). The 128th edition contains more than 1,400 tables of social, political and economic facts about our nation and the world. Among topics covered in the 49 new tables in this edition are the religious composition of our nation’s population, osteopathic physicians, online news consumption, expenditures for wildlife-related recreation and women in parliaments around the globe. Although the emphasis is on national-level statistics, some tables present state- and even city- and metropolitan-level data as well. The source of the data is not limited to the Census Bureau — statistics are also derived from other social, political and economic organizations in the United States. Data in this edition are generally for the most recent year or period available by the summer of 2008. This has been added to Reference Resources Subject Tracer™ Information Blog. This has been added to the tools section of Research Resources Subject Tracer™ Information Blog. This has been added to Business Intelligence Resources Subject Tracer™ Information Blog. This has been added to Statistics Resources Subject Tracer™ Information Blog.