London is unarguably one of the great cities of the world. It has an unrivalled cultural and artistic heritage, helping to confirm its place as a vibrant and dynamic city.
It is home to over 7 million people and has a resident workforce of some 3.4 million, which is supplemented further by a large number of commuters.
Over 300 languages are spoken and the 2001 Census shows that 29 per cent of London's population belonged to a minority ethnic group. One in five small businesses are owned or managed by members of minority ethnic communities.
London is one of the few global centres for international business and it is comparable in size to many national economies.
The service sector dominates London’s economy. Key services among the sector are finance and business services, the public sector, tourism and hospitality and the creative and cultural industries. Finance and business services alone accounted for 35 per cent of London’s Gross Value Added (GVA) in 1998. However, manufacturing is still an important part of London’s economy, accounting for over 11 per cent of London’s GVA in 1998 and the third highest region in cash terms, with GVA of £13 billion
While London stands out as one of the most successful regions in the UK, it is also a city divided between the extremes of wealth creation and success, and deprivation and social exclusion.
For example, the average gross weekly earnings of male full-time, non-manual London employees is a third higher than in the UK as a whole, and yet 20 per cent of wards in London are in the 10 per cent of the most deprived wards in England.
"Focus on London 2003" is a statistical digest of the affairs, problems and successes of London. It is the product of a unique collaboration between the Greater London Authority, the Government Office for London, the London Development Agency and the Office for National Statistics; bringing together in one place a wide range of demographic, social, industrial and economic statistics to provide a comprehensive picture of London.
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