The United Arab Economic Report for last year shows that Arab populations continue to climb while gross domestic product continues to fall. There were 209 million Arabs in 1988, compared to 270 million in 1998. Population continued to climb in 1998 at an unusually high rate of 2.41% (slightly down from the 2.55% for the previous six years). The Gross Domestic Product for all Arab countries combined fell by 1.7% in 1998 (and was steady at that rate for a decade); pre capita income for all Arabs combined fell from $2612 in 1980 to $2182 per year.--Stephen V Cole