The yearbook does not differ much by its contents from yearbooks brought out in previous years. Modifications made are related especially to acquisition of data from new single-shot statistical surveys. This year, they are especially data from the survey ENERGO 2004 (on energy consumption in households) and from the Survey on ICT Use in Households; slight modifications can be found almost in all chapters. Besides data for the entire city, you can find here also data available by city part or even administrative district. This year, we put into Chapter 12 a comparative overview of basic statistical data for individual regional cities of the Czech Republic, several comparative tables for 4 biggest cities of the CR, i.e. for Prague, Brno, Ostrava and Plzeň. We have also included comparison of selected data for capitals of the neighbouring countries (with the exception of Berlin, which is different as for its size as well as status within the country). The chapter, Comparison of Cities, we intend to enlarge next year by other data or even other towns compared in case there will be interest in that. In the end of the data part of the publication there are time series of development of selected indicators in the Czech Republic in 1993 - 2004.

State statistical surveys are basic data source. Besides data sources of the Czech Statistical Office data from other departments were used, too: especially from the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Education or the Institute for Information on Education, Ministry of Health or the Institute of Health Information and Statistics of the CR. Considerable part of data published is kept in regional databases called KROK (data on regions and districts) and MOS (community and municipality statistics).

A regional yearbook, of course, cannot contain all data collected and processed by the state statistics. More detailed data from individual segments of demographic, economic and social development of the City of Prague, administrative districts and city parts are brought out in specialized publications (bulletin, publications of demographic character, etc). We would like to bring attention of our readers to the fact that now we are preparing for them a separate publication called Demographic, Social and Economic Development of the Hl. m. Praha Region 2000-2004, in which trends in basic areas of our capital’s development will be evaluated.

Besides the printed form, all publications are available also in an electronic form on a CD-ROM. A great deal of information is provided also at regional web pages of the CZSO (www.praha.czso.cz). Not only the most update results of statistical surveys for Prague and its parts, but also information on our own activity are to be found there. All publications in an electronic form are available for free there.

The reason why statistical information is acquired and processed is knowledge, seeking for tendencies in development and, moreover, its utilisation in practice. Long-term practice with the interest of users in information in regional breakdown, which has been markedly increasing recently, makes us believe that the Statistical yearbook of Prague has an irreplaceable role and will continue to be a sought-after information source both for professional and general public. Of course, we will welcome your prospective suggestions and comments regarding the contents of the yearbook; they will be a valuable contribution during preparation of regional publications in 2006.

We express our thanks to all authors and colleagues for the effort and time they devoted to preparation of the contents as well as technical part of this publication.

The calculations in the tables are performed using unrounded figures (including the sums).

The data given in the Yearbook are valid as at 30 September 2005 and update the data and estimates
published before.