In the humdrum of political rhetoric that fills the airwaves and newspaper columns the first casualty is almost always the truth: facts are obscured and figures manipulated.
Even basic facts such as the number of marriages or children born out of wedlock seem to get lost in controversies over divorce and social aid to single mothers.
A pocket publication by the National Statistics Office seeks to redress at least one aspect of this shortfall by presenting a comprehensive collection of easy-to-read statistical data.
The latest edition of Malta in Figures covers data for 2008 and tackles various themes from population statistics to the environment, from economic data to education, from geographic facts to accidents at work.
A cursory look shows that the number of early school leavers represented just over 36 per cent of people aged between 18 and 24 in 2008, a drop of three percentage points from the previous year.
On the other hand, unemployment stood at just over six per cent, imports totalled €3.4 billion, exports €2 billion and the collective wealth generated was €5.7 billion.
If somebody asks for Malta's population, be informed that last year it reached 413,609 and the country had a density of 1,309 people per square kilometre.
With 2,482 marriages, 3,243 deaths and 4,126 births, the figures give an instant demographic snapshot of a country with a growing population.
It dispels the commonly held notion that people get married at a young age. While this may have been true in the past, the NSO figures show that the mean age at marriage stood at almost 30 years for men and 27 for women, having been so at least since 2005.
Geography buffs can also find data about the terrain.
The total land area is 316 square kilometres but more interesting is the breakdown by size of the islands. While Malta covers 246 square kilometres, Gozo has four times less land area with 67 square kilometres. Comino is a minnow at 2.8 square kilometres. A straight line walk across Malta's length would see you travel just over 27 kilometres while a similar walk across its width would notch up just 14 kilometres. On the other hand, Gozo is 14 kilometres long and seven kilometres wide.
The biggest portion of land, 48 per cent, is taken up by agriculture and significant areas of natural vegetation while built-up areas cover 22 per cent. Port areas cover 0.7 per cent and the airport gobbles up almost four square kilometres, or 1.2 per cent of all land area.
The book also contains a map showing the local council boundaries and other useful information such as a list of country codes broken down by EU member states, aspiring member states and members of the European Free Trade Association.
And if you have ever wondered how many medical practitioners were registered in Malta, the book also has the answer: 1,374.
The book is available online for free and the printed version can be purchased from the NSO for €5.
ksansone@timesofmalta.com