text: wealth; the effects of national population policies; public safety; poli­ tical freedom; social mobility; rural development; use of natural re­ sources; the relevance of inputs not generated by economic growth, and so on: 4. A pioneering work on social indicators was the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) Contents and Measurement of Socio-Economic Development: An Empirical Enquiry (Geneva, 1970). The indicators employed in that study were primarily economic. Expectation of life at birth was the only strictly demographic indicator used. Cultural development was measured only in terms of the numbers of newspapers, radios and telephones, distribution of income was not measured. · ·. · 5. UNRISD published 1n 1974 a list of 100 social indicators and their values, when available, for 120 countries.1 Towards a System of Social and Demographic Statistics,2 published in 1975, outline a com­ prehensive system that included statistics on demographic variables, family . formation, social mobility, income distribution , housing, and several other categories. The United Nations Statistical Office had more recently issued guidelines which were more flexible and more appro­ priate to the situation in developing countries.3 6. Thus, the technical knowledge of social statistics was well devel­ oped. However, the application of social statistics for planning purposes had lagged behind the construction of model systems. This gap could · be attributed to two principal factors: (a) In many developing countries the recommended data for the systems were not collected adequately, or at all; ' (b) When data were available, they were not sufficiently incor- porated into the development and evaluation of national plans . . 7. The main objectives of the Expert Group Meeting were: (a) To review current practice and knowledge with respect to the development of social indicators and their application to population and development planning; 
analysis: The text discusses the development of social indicators and their application to population and development planning, with a focus on socio-economic development, demographic variables, and social statistics. It mentions topics such as poverty, public safety, political freedom, social mobility, and rural development, which suggests a broader scope beyond traditional economic development.