The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) provides a range of statistical indicators to facilitate international comparisons relating to the manufacturing industry.
Table 18.20 lists the world's leading producers, excluding China, the former USSR and eastern Europe, in selected manufacturing industries in 2001. Globally, manufacturing in many sectors was dominated by the United States of America, Japan and Germany. Of the countries included in the UNIDO statistics, Australia was the 12th largest producer of food products and beverages in 2001, accounting for 1.8% of measured world production, compared to the 22% produced by the United States of America. Australia's $13.6b production of metal products was not enough to see it included in the top 15 countries in 2001, although it ranked 14th in 1990. In printing and publishing, Australia was ranked 11th. Other industries in which Australia was ranked in the top 15 producers in the countries included in the UNIDO statistics are listed in table 18.20.
18.20 LEADING PRODUCERS IN SELECTED INDUSTRIES - 2001
|
Country or area | Rank | Percentage(a) |
|
FOOD PRODUCTS AND BEVERAGE |
|
United States of America | 1 | 22.2 |
Japan | 2 | 13.1 |
Germany, western part | 3 | 8.2 |
Australia | 12 | 1.8 |
|
WOOD AND CORK PRODUCTS |
|
United States of America | 1 | 24.7 |
Japan | 2 | 9.9 |
Germany, western part | 3 | 9.4 |
Australia | 14 | 1.8 |
|
PRINTING AND PUBLISHING |
|
United States of America | 1 | 32.4 |
Japan | 2 | 20.7 |
United Kingdom | 3 | 6.6 |
Australia | 11 | 1.3 |
|
BASIC METALS |
|
Japan | 1 | 19.6 |
United States of America | 2 | 15.3 |
Germany, western part | 3 | 9.5 |
Australia | 14 | 1.7 |
|
METAL PRODUCTS |
|
United States of America | 1 | 23.4 |
Germany, western part | 2 | 16.8 |
Japan | 3 | 16.3 |
Australia | not in top 15 | n.a. |
|
TRANSPORT EQUIPMENT |
|
United States of America | 1 | 25.9 |
Japan | 2 | 16.7 |
Germany, western part | 3 | 13.0 |
Australia | 15 | 0.9 |
|
(a) In world total value added (excluding eastern Europe, the former USSR, and China (but including Hong Kong and Taiwan)) at constant 1990 prices. |
| | |
Source: United Nations Industrial Development Organization, 'International Yearbook of Industrial Statistics 2003'. |
Graph 18.21 depicts the manufacturing value added (MVA) for the year 2000 of selected countries. MVA is a measure of the contribution to GDP the manufacturing industry makes. The manufacturing industry contribution to GDP of China stands out at 35%. Australian MVA, contributing 13% to GDP, is lower than most other industrialised countries, many of which are close to, or above, 20%. However, for many countries, the contribution of MVA to GDP is reducing. For instance, from 1985 to 2000 the average of countries in the European Union declined from 26% to 21% MVA in GDP. The United States of America fell from 19% to 16% over the same period, while in Australia the manufacturing industry contributed 17% to GDP in 1985, falling to 13% in 2000.