The US Census Bureau has just finalized and released the 2012 Statistical Abstract. The Abstract is subtitled as the "National Data Book" for good reason since it contains over 30 separate sections and, in printed form, fills nearly 1500 pages. The statistics reported in the book are derived from both government and private sources and are useful for creating a baseline for comparison between individual US states and between the United States and other countries. Some illustrative breakouts:
- Annual Percent Changes From Prior Year in Consumer Price Indexes (CPI-U)—Selected Areas: 2010 (Table 726)
- U.S. Foreign Economic and Military Aid by Major Recipient Country: 2001 to 2009 (Table 1299)
- Table 1332. Population by Country or Area: 1990 to 2020 (Table 1332)
- Military Expenditures, 2009, and Manpower, 2010, by Country (Table 1406)
The abstract has been published since 1878. Follow this link for early editions as well as a compendium of US historical statistics. Also, keep in mind that in the era of electronic publishing, the abstract will be changed as new and updated data is received by the Census Bureau and that the Bureau will reflect these changes in downloadable Excel spreadsheets first and foremost.