conservative estimation leads to the conclusion that we presently 
loose in the world's economy at least $ 6 to 10 billion per year 
(i.e. an amount 3 to 5 times greater than the present total annual 
surveying and mapping expenditures for the entire world) due to too 
slow annual progress rates in surveying and mapping (including photo- 
grammetric surveying and mapping). 
In evaluating the impact of surveying and mapping (including 
photogrammetric work) upon the national economy the knowledge of 
economic indicators prove to be quite helpful. Two of the most rea- 
Jistic indicators are those based on a comparison with the GNP and 
the combined public expenditures. If these indicators are determined 
on a world-wide basis one obtains present average annual global ex- 
penditures for surveying and mapping which amount to 0.1% of the GHP 
and to 1/42 of the combined public expenditures. But the knowledge 
of such indicators does not give an answer to whether the annual sur- 
re adequate in view cf an optimum contri- 
bution to t:e national or the world's economy. Here, we have to search 
for more salient criterions. 
  
Let us analyse this problem somewhat in a more thorough fashion: 
it is a well-known fact that we surveyors, map makers and photogram- 
metrists hardly become millionnaires; the point is rather that if we 
fail to do an adequate and speditive job, the country will loose