Numbers

54 Number of countries that are poorer today than they were in 1990, as measured by gross domestic product

20 Number of those countries that are in sub-Saharan Africa

1.4 million Number of Americans who moved to California in the second half of the 1990s

2.2 million Number of Californians who moved to other states in the same period, the first time the state lost more citizens than it gained

93% Percentage of parents of young children who, when asked which new products they regard as most essential, mentioned disposable diapers

85% Percentage of parents who mentioned "sippy cups"

10% Percentage of the U.S. potato crop that is bought by McDonald's

8% Percentage of Americans who, on a given day, eat at McDonald's

Sources: New York Times (2), Kimberly-Clark, AP