Grant Thornton and The Economist launch The World in Figures 2012 app

Launch coincides with announcement of new marketing strategy and tagline in Canada

TORONTO, March 19, 2012 /CNW/ - Want to know where Canada ranks in the global economic league table? Or who is the most generous aid donor? Or which country has the lowest divorce rate? The World in Figures contains a wealth of economic, socio-demographic, cultural and environmental statistics from The Economist and is now available as a free iPad app, thanks to a partnership between Grant Thornton International Ltd. and The Economist.

Phil Noble, Executive Partner and CEO, Grant Thornton LLP in Canada, explains, "The World in Figures is not only full of useful data, but it helps businesses track key indicators that shape their own future. Companies need tools like this so they can identify areas showing the most potential for growth. The World in Figures app does just that."

The World in Figures includes country scores and rankings on more than 200 topics from foreign debt, life expectancy and natural resources, to business competitiveness, innovation and Facebook usage. Alongside detailed statistical profiles of the world's major economies, it also allows users to compare how different countries rank by topic and includes trivia from all over the world.

"The Economist is world-renowned for their analysis, and since Grant Thornton member firms operate in many of the more than 190 countries included in The World in Figures, we hope our clients and our people will find it a valuable addition to their working day," adds Noble.

The launch of The World in Figures app coincides with the announcement of Grant Thornton's new tagline, 'An instinct for growth'. The use of the tagline in Canada is part of an ambitious global strategy.

"We want to strengthen our reputation in Canada as the leading business advisor to dynamic privately held business," adds Bill Brushett, National Client Services Partner. "We believe we can make a difference to our clients by giving meaningful, actionable advice—and so help dynamic Canadian businesses unlock their potential for growth."

The World in Figures app is available, free, from the iTunes App Store.

Note: Sweden is the most generous aid donor. Guatemala has the world's lowest divorce rate.

Other interesting facts about Canada found in The World in Figures 2012

• Canada ranks first in "computers per 100 people". Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK round out the top five.
• Canada ranks third in the number of publicly listed companies (behind India and the US).
• Canada is third in aluminium production, fourth in zinc and fifth in nickel production. We're third in the Top 10 producers of oil and natural gas. We're in the Top Ten for wheat, copper, lead, gold and silver production. In terms of consumption, we're on the Top Ten list for coffee, oil and aluminium.
• We're only number 12 in beer consumption ("litres per head"). Czech Republic, Venezuela and Australia are the top three.
• Canada is third in the World Giving Index, behind Australia and New Zealand, but ahead of Ireland and the United States in the top five.
• We rank sixteenth in Highest Cost of Living (Japan, Norway and France were top three).
• Canada placed seventh in global competitiveness. Hong Kong was first, followed by the US, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland and Taiwan.

Other interesting rankings

• China has the most new car registrations, with the US, and Japan rounding out the top three. Canada is fourteenth.
• UAE, Saudi Arabia, Mauritius, Bahrain, and Qatar have the world's highest proportion of diabetics. Canada doesn't even make the Top 25.
• Looking for the country with the highest economic growth (as measured by average annual percentage increase in real GDP)? The winner, by a significant margin, is Equatorial Guinea. Number two, China, has only a third of Equatorial Guinea's growth.
• The United States has the largest number of Nobel prize winners in economics (34), with the UK coming second (9) and Norway and Sweden sharing third place (2).
• Iceland has the most Facebook users per 1,000 population. Canada and Chile share eleventh place, just behind the UAE. The US shares seventeenth place with Sweden.

About Grant Thornton in Canada

Grant Thornton LLP is a leading Canadian accounting and advisory firm providing audit, tax and advisory services to private and public organizations. Together with the Quebec firm Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton LLP, Grant Thornton in Canada has approximately 4,000 people in offices across Canada. Grant Thornton LLP is a Canadian member of Grant Thornton International Ltd, whose member firms operate in close to 100 countries worldwide.

Tania Freedman
Senior Manager, Media Relations
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