Grant Thornton is delighted to have teamed up with The Economist to bring to more New Zealanders the World in  Figures. It provides country rankings on more than 200 topics on everything from foreign debt, life expectancy and natural resources, to business competitiveness, innovation and Facebook usage.

Initially an app for use on iPads, it’s  now available free, courtesy of Grant Thornton New Zealand, to anyone who has an iPhone or visit www.grantthornton.co.nz

Mark Hucklesby, the New Zealand firm’s National Technical Director said “there would be few people in business who are not familiar with the name and the work of this highly respected global business publisher.”

Hucklesby commented on how widely the Economist is cited. “Everyone from politicians and business leaders to university academics and newspapers – because of the great effort put in to provide insight on everyday issues.” 

“For example, movements in the “Big Mac  Index” inspired by the international McDonald fast food franchise, to illustrate the purchasing power parity between two countries since 1986 is seldom overlooked by the media” said Hucklesby.

Hucklesby also notes that alongside detailed statistical profiles of the world's major economies, the World in  Figures also carries a tool to compare how different countries rank by topic plus trivia from all over the world that could be helpful when preparing a presentation.

In other remarks Hucklesby also noted that “although rather quaintly The Economist still refers to itself as a newspaper, it’s actually a weekly magazine with a powerful web presence; its collective voice and lack of by-lines to introduce articles results in the name of its editor never being published, and on the contents page of every issue its 1843 mission statement is still written in italics.”

Given that Grant Thornton operates in many of the 190+ countries included in the World in Figures and is united in its ambition to help dynamic organisations in New Zealand better understand the world so that they can assess and unlock their potential for growth.

Grant Thornton believes The Economist's world-renowned analysis will prove a valuable addition to everyone’s working day.

Further enquiries, please contact:

Mark Hucklesby         
National Technical Director          
T +64  (0)9 308 2581          
E  mark.hucklesby@nz.gt.com