This unique annual collection of key economic and statistical data on states with fewer than five million inhabitants is an essential reference for economists, planners and policy-makers. The Commonwealth's definition of small states is those with a population of one and a half million or less. For comparison purposes this volume presents, where available, data on states with a population of up to five million.

The book contains 68 tables covering selected economic, social, demographic and Millennium Development Goal indicators culled from international and national sources and also presents information unavailable elsewhere. A detailed parallel commentary on trends in Commonwealth small states, looking at growth, employment, inflation, human development, and economic policy, permits a deeper understanding of underlying developments behind the figures.

The book also includes four articles focusing on the green economy: The Implementation of Low-carbon and Green Economy Measures in Small Island Developing States by Vernese Inniss; From Brown to Green Opportunities for Environmentally Sound Development in Small States by Cletus I Springer; A Green Investment Analysis Using System Dynamics Modelling – The Case of Mauritius by Andrea M Bassi and Prakash N K Deenapanray; and Rethinking the Institutional Framework for the Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States and the Mauritius Strategy for the Further Implementation of the BPOA by the Commonwealth IAESD Group.