Selected financial data

Notes

1. The accounting information for 2004, 2005 and 2006 in these charts is drawn up in accordance with IFRS; but the information for 2002 and 2003 is as previously reported in accordance with UK Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (UK GAAP).
2. Underlying earnings is the key financial performance indicator which management use internally to assess performance. It is presented here as an additional measure of earnings to provide greater understanding of the underlying business performance of the Group's operations. Items excluded from net earnings to arrive at underlying earnings are explained on page 26. Both net earnings and underlying earnings deal with amounts attributable to equity shareholders of Rio Tinto. However, EU IFRS requires that the profit for the year reported in the income statement should also include earnings attributable to outside shareholders in subsidiaries.
3. The amounts presented for 2002 and 2003 are similar measures to underlying earnings, net earnings and profit for the year respectively but drawn up in accordance with UK GAAP. In the UK GAAP financial statements for 2002 and 2003, these were referred to, respectively, as adjusted earnings, net earnings and profit on ordinary activities after tax.
4. The analysis of cash flows from operations between jointly equity accounted units (previously joint ventures and associates under UK GAAP) and consolidated operations has been affected by the reclassification of certain operations under IFRS.
5. In this report, the sales revenue of parent companies and their subsidiaries is referred to as "Consolidated sales revenue". Rio Tinto also reports a sales revenue measure that includes its share of equity accounted units, which is referred to as "Gross sales revenue". This latter measure is considered informative because a significant part of the Group's business is conducted through operations that are subject to equity accounting.