Fewer women in the UK are working full time than in 1975. [Changing States, Ford, Kinnock, McCarthy, 1996]
There are 7.18m cats in British households, and 6.65m dogs. But the most common pet is an ornamental fish-there were 24.38m of them at the last count. [Independent, 20th August 1996]
Russia last year overtook the US and France to become the largest arms seller to the developing world. Russian arms sales to developing countries grew by 62 per cent last year, from $3.7 billion to $6 billion. Its most important buyer was China. [International Herald Tribune, 21st August 1996]
85 per cent of cinemas in the UK are controlled by US groups. [Changing States]
In the UK, 20 per cent of cereal is now eaten at times other than breakfast. [Datamonitor Europe, August 1996]
Two thirds of the UK population never visit a bookshop. The 10 per cent who do buy three quarters of all books. [Prospect October, "Publish and Be Small," p8]
The five permanent members of the UN Security Council manufacture 85 per cent of the world's arms and two thirds are sold to the developing world. [Changing States]
The number of computers connected to the internet doubled over the past year, from 5m to over 10m. About 8 per cent of American adults and 5 per cent of British adults have used the net directly or via an online service. [Prospect October, Digest, p83]
