Reference metadata describe statistical concepts and methodologies used for the collection and generation of data. They provide information on data quality and, since they are strongly content-oriented, assist users in interpreting the data. Reference metadata, unlike structural metadata, can be decoupled from the data.
SN is fully responible for the Norwegian (NO) national accounts NA)
1.3. Contact name
Confidential because of GDPR
1.4. Contact person function
Confidential because of GDPR
1.5. Contact mail address
Postbox 2633 St. Hanshaugen, 0131, OSLO, NORWAY
1.6. Contact email address
Confidential because of GDPR
1.7. Contact phone number
Confidential because of GDPR
1.8. Contact fax number
Confidential because of GDPR
2.1. Metadata last certified
14 June 2018
2.2. Metadata last posted
28 June 2022
2.3. Metadata last update
28 June 2022
3.1. Data description
National accounts data concern all data produced and disseminated for an economy according to the definitions and guidelines of the European System of Accounts (ESA 2010).
National accounts provide data for the total economy, but may also include breakdowns of the total economy (into sectors, industries, products, regions, etc.). National accounts provide data for several domains: annual and quarterly national accounts (main aggregates), sector accounts, financial accounts, supply and use and input-output tables, regional accounts and government finance statistics.
One of the main aggregates of national accounts is the change rate of the price-adjusted gross domestic product (GDP), which indicates the economic development of a country of region and is also referred to as economic growth rate.
In Eurobase, countries' data are presented following the usual data structure.
At national level, data are commonly available for:
- annual and quarterly national accounts: 'main aggregates'
- annual and quarterly sector accounts
- annual financial accounts and balance sheets
- annual non-financial balance sheets
- supply and use and input-output tables
- annual and quarterly government finance statistics data: 'main aggregates', quarterly financial government accounts and government debt
- regional breakdowns of main national accounts variables and household accounts
- industry breakdowns of main national accounts variables
- industry by asset breakdowns (stocks and transactions)
- detailed data on taxes, social contributions and government expenditure by function
- pension entitlements in social insurance
3.2. Classification system
The ESA 2010 provides a methodology on common standards, definitions, internationally harmonised classifications and accounting rules that are used for compiling national accounts on comparable bases.
The ESA 2010 defines classifications to be used for: institutional sectors, transactions in products, transactions in non-financial non-produced assets, distributive transactions, transactions in financial assets and liabilities, other changes in assets, balancing and net worth items, balance sheet entries, non-financial assets, financial assets and liabilities.
In addition, for several breakdowns ESA 2010 makes use of other classifications: NACE Rev. 2 for economic activities, CPA 2014 for products by economic activities, COFOG for the functions of government, COICOP for individual consumption by purpose, COPNI for classification of the purposes of non-profit institutions serving households, NUTS 2013 for regional breakdowns.
A full overview of classifications is available in:
National accounts describe the total economy of a country. All units that have their centre of predominant economic interest in the economic territory of that country are covered.
In addition, several breakdowns of the total are described. Two of the most important breakdowns are the breakdown by institutional sector and the breakdown by NACE Rev. 2 activity. Exhaustiveness is required for each of the breakdown items.
Concerning the institutional sector breakdown, ESA 2010 distinguishes five mutually exclusive domestic institutional sectors: (a) non-financial corporations; (b) financial corporations; (c) general government; (d) households; (e) non-profit institutions serving households. The five sectors together make up the total domestic economy. Each sector is also divided into subsectors.
Regarding the activity breakdown, ESA 2010 applies NACE Rev.2. Activities can be broken down into several levels of detail, for example into 3, 10, 21, 38, 64 or 88 activities. At the 'highest' level a breakdown into 3 categories is defined: (a) agriculture, forestry and fishing; (b) mining and quarrying, manufacturing, electricity gas steam and air conditioning supply, water supply, sewerage, waste management and remediation activities, construction; (c) services.
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
All statistical concepts and definitions to be used in national accounts are described in Annex A of the ESA 2010 Regulation (link to blue book on ESA2010 methodology). The two main sets of tables concern: (a) the institutional sector accounts; (b) the input-output framework, and the accounts by industry.
The sector accounts provide, by institutional sector, a systematic description of the different stages of the economic process: production, generation of income, distribution of income, redistribution of income, use of income and financial and nonfinancial accumulation. The sector accounts also include balance sheets to describe the stocks of assets, liabilities and net worth at the beginning and the end of the accounting period. The variables/concepts described in the sector accounts include transactions in products, transactions in non-produced non-financial assets, distributive transactions, transactions in financial assets and liabilities, other changes in assets, non-financial and financial assets and liabilities.
The input-output framework, through the supply and use tables, sets out in more detail the production process (cost structure, income generated and employment) and the flows of goods and services (output, imports, exports, final consumption, intermediate consumption and capital formation by product group). These variables are broken down by industry (NACE Rev. 2) and product (CPA 2014).
ESA 2010 also encompasses concepts of population and employment. Such concepts are relevant for the sector accounts, the accounts by industry and the supply and use framework.
Regional accounts provide regional breakdowns for major aggregates such as gross value added by industry, gross fixed capital formation and household income. Regional breakdowns are based on the NUTS classification. National accounts concepts are also used for regional accounts.
In addition Annex A of the ESA 2010 Regulation addresses and defines numerous other concepts and definitions, such as the definition of: statistical units and their groupings, flows and stocks, accounting rules (valuation, time of recording, consolidation and netting). The main features and principles for the compilation of national accounts can be found in Chapter 1.
3.5. Statistical unit
Following the ESA 2010 guidelines, in national accounts two types of units and two corresponding ways of subdividing the economy are used: (a) institutional unit; (b) local kind-of-activity unit (local KAU). The first type is used for describing income, expenditure and financial flows as well as balance sheets. The second type of units is used for the description of production processes, for input-output analysis and for regional analysis.
An institutional unit is an economic entity characterised by decision-making autonomy in the exercise of its principal function. A resident unit is regarded as constituting an institutional unit in the economic territory where it has its centre of predominant economic interest if it has decision-making autonomy and either keeps a complete set of accounts, or is able to compile a complete set of accounts.
A local KAU groups all the parts of an institutional unit in its capacity as producer which are located in a single site or in closely located sites, and which contribute to the performance of an activity at the class level (four digits) of the NACE Rev. 2.
An institutional unit comprises one or more local KAUs; a local KAU belongs to one and only one institutional unit.
3.6. Statistical population
The national accounts population of a country consists of all resident statistical units (institutional units or local KAUs, see section 3.5). A unit is a resident unit of a country when it has a centre of predominant economic interest on the economic territory of that country, that is, when it engages for an extended period (one year or more) in economic activities on this territory.
National accounts are exhaustive. This means that all resident statistical units are in principle covered.
3.7. Reference area
The reference area for national accounts is the total economy of a country. The total economy of a country can be broken down into regions. The NUTS classification provides a single, uniform breakdown of the economic territory of the Member States of the EU.
3.8. Coverage - Time
National accounts data are usually compiled for years and quarters.
In general, the ESA 2010 transmission programme requires data starting in 1995 (years) and 1995Q1 (quarters) but some series start later. If backwards data exist, they may have been compiled according to earlier versions of ESA and can present conceptual breaks with those compiled under ESA2010.
NO time series for real economy back to 1970 - for non-financial intituional aacounts back to 1978 - for financial institutional accounts back to 1995.
3.9. Base period
The concept of 'base period' is not applied in national accounts. Instead, for some national accounts variables the concepts of previous year prices and chain-linked volumes are applied, as stipulated in Commission Decision 98/715/EC. Expressing variables at the prices of the previous year allows the calculation of volume indices between the current time period and the previous year. After a reference period is chosen as a benchmark, volume indices can be chain-linked and then applied to variables at current prices of the benchmark year. This generates volume estimates for any period of observation.
NO currently uses 2005 as reference year for the compilation of annual and 2015 ro quarterly chain-linked volumes.
With the exception of some variables concerning population and labour that are usually expressed in number of persons, hours or jobs, the ESA 2010 system shows all flows and stocks in monetary terms: in euros or other national currency. Flows and stocks shall be measured according to their exchange value, i.e. the value at which flows and stocks are in fact, or could be, exchanged for cash. Market prices are, thus, the ESA's reference for valuation.
In addition to measurement in current (market) prices, some national accounts variables are also expressed in previous year's prices and chain-linked volumes, see section 3.9. Furthermore, it is possible to derive growth rates and indices, and various other measures '(e.g. percentages, per capita data, data expressed in purchasing power standards)' can be applied as well.
The usual reference period to be used for presenting national accounts data is the calendar year for annual data and the quarter for quarterly data.
Two basic kinds of information are recorded: flows and stocks. Flows refer to actions and effects of events that take place within a given period of time (year or quarter), while stocks refer to positions at a point of time (usually the beginning or end of a year or quarter).
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
National accounts are compiled in accordance with the European System of Accounts (ESA 2010) which was published in the Official Journal as Annex A of Regulation (EU) No 549/2013. The ESA 2010 transmission programme is covered in Annex B
The ESA 2010 has the form of a Regulation and it provides for:
a methodology (Annex A) on common standards, definitions, classifications and accounting rules that shall be used for compiling accounts and tables on comparable bases (link to blue book on ESA 2010 methodology);
a programme of data transmission (Annex B) setting out the time limits by which Member States shall transmit to Eurostat the accounts and tables (link to ESA 2010 transmission programme).
Temporary derogations to the data transmission requirements have been granted to Member States, up to 2020, by the Commission Implementing Decision 2014/403/EU of 26 June 2014 thus allowing national data to deviate temporarily from the ESA 2010 transmission requirements.
Some other legal acts with relevance for national accounts concern:
- Commission Decision 98/715 of 30 November 1998 and Commission Decision 2002/990 of 17 December 2002 on measurement of price and volumes in national accounts.
- Legal act on the excessive deficit procedure
Several separate acts, often regarding classifications such as: NACE Rev.2, CPA 2014, COFOG, COICOP, NUTS 2013.
On the Eurostat website, sections 'National accounts' and 'Government finance and EDP', more legal acts relevant for national accounts can be found.
The Statistics Act of 1989 stipulates that Statistics Norway is the central body for preparation and dissemination of official statistics in Norway:
National accounts data are key datasets used and published by many international organisations to improve data consistency and exploit synergies for data collection and validation. An initiative to improve data sharing for National Accounts was launched in 2016 by the Inter-Agency Group on Economic and Financial Statistics (comprising representatives of the Bank for International Settlements, the European Central Bank, Eurostat, the IMF, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, the United Nations, and the World Bank) under the G20 Data Gap Initiative.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics (recital 24 and Article 20(4)) of 11 March 2009 (OJ L 87, p. 164), stipulates the need to establish common principles and guidelines ensuring the confidentiality of data used for the production of European statistics and the access to those confidential data with due account for technical developments and the requirements of users in a democratic society. The European Statistics Code of Practice provides further conditions that have to be respected by statistical offices in regard to statistical confidentiality (Principle 5).
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
In a statistical sense, ‘confidential data’ means data which allow statistical units to be identified, either directly or indirectly, thereby disclosing individual information. To determine whether a statistical unit is identifiable, account shall be taken of all relevant means that might reasonably be used by a third party to identify the statistical unit. Although national accounts data are usually highly aggregated, there may be possible cases for detailed breakdowns of aggregates and/or small economies. In these cases measures should be taken in order not to disclose data of a separate statistical unit. Guidance on how to prevent disclosure can be found in the Handbook on Statistical Disclosure Control.
8.1. Release calendar
Good practice requires that new national accounts data and associated news releases are announced in a release calendar that is published well in advance of the respective releases.
The following table explaines the annual time table for the publicationm of the various NO NA statistics:
Aggregated annual accounts
Months time lag
First provisional annual version, quarterly-based
+ 1 1/3
Second provisional annual version, quarterly-based
+ 4 2/3
Third provisional annual version
+ 10 2/3
Final annual version, detailed basis
+ 19 1/3
Aggregated quarterly accounts
Provisional first version
+ 40-50 days
Final adjusted version
+ 22 2/3 after end of year (adjustment once a year)
Supply and use tables
Provisional version
Simplified version in quarterly accounts (i.e. + 40-50 days first time)
Final detailed version
+ 20 1/3 after end of year
Input-output tables
Final detailed version
+ 20 1/3
Institutional sector accounts
Provisional aggregated quarterly version
+ 1 1/3 after end of quarter
Provisional aggregated annual version
+ 2 after end of year
Final detailed version
+ 20 1/3
Regional accounts
Final detailed version
+ 21 2/3
Labor accounts
Quarterly versions
like aggregated quarterly accounts
First provisional annual version
+ 1 1/3
Second provisional annual version
+ 4 2/3
Third provisional annual version
+ 10 ¾
Final annual version
+ 19 1/3
Balance of payments
First quarterly version
+ 60-65 days
Final adjusted quarterly version
+ 23 after end of year
First provisional annual version
+ 2
Second provisional annual version
+ 5
Third provisional annual version
+ 11
Final annual version
+ 23
Satellite accounts
Tourism, System of Health Accounts, Satellite for Non-profit institutions, NAMEA
Ad hoc versions
8.2. Release calendar access
Release calendars should be easily available and accessible for users, e.g. by publication on the website of an NSI.
https://www.ssb.no/en/kalender
8.3. Release policy - user access
In line with the Community legal framework and the European Statistics Code of Practice (Principle 6 on impartiality and objectivity, Principle 13 on timeliness and punctuality and Principle 15 on accessibility and clarity), national accounts data that meet the quality standards, including relevant metadata, should be made available to users. Users should be informed when the data become available and how they can be accessed.
The main principles of Statistics Norway’s communication and dissemination are transparency, accessibility, comprehensibility, independence and confidentiality.
New quarterly national accounts data are published each quarter: 4 times per year. However, depending on circumstances and national practices, initially released quarterly national accounts data may be revised and disseminated again. Annual national accounts data are published at least once a year: when data for a new year are added. But, depending on country practices and revision policy, annual data can also be published more often, e.g. publication of a provisional estimate early in the calendar year and a revised one later in the calendar year.
National accounts are compiled in different versions. There are versions according to present status - final or provisional - detailed or less detailed, adjusted or unadjusted. Annual aggregated accounts are normally compiled in three consecutive provisional versions and a final one, and occasionally main revisions are undertaken later on. Following the establishing of modern national accounts some 60 years ago, there have been seven main revisions of national accounts in Norway, revised estimates initially published in 1962, 1973, 1995, 2002, 2006, 2011 and 2014.
Referring to versions compiled, including the periodicity, the current (2015) situation is reflected in the box in chapter 8 on Realease policy as the various national accounts compilations are concerned. Time lag in number of months is indicated. In 2015, the final figures for 2013 were published on 9 September, pushing forward the publication of final figures more than 2 months. The quarterly data for 2013 and forward will subsequently be harmonized with the final annual data in November 2015. The plan is however to have also the third provisional version (quarterly based) published simultaneously with the final figures for the previous year in September, i.e. after 9 months. Hopefully this can be achieved within a couple of years’ time.
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
The most important results of national accounts are issued in news releases. New key national accounts data may also be presented in press conferences or press briefings. The exact dates are pre-announced in release calendars (see section 8.1 above).
10.2. Dissemination format - Publications
In addition to news releases, national accounts data may be disseminated in other publications, such as statistical papers, yearbooks, internal and external articles. Usually this concerns publications in which more in-depth analysis is carried out.
10.3. Dissemination format - online database
In order to enable easy access to national accounts data, all validated national accounts data should be made available to users by publishing them in an online database.
The NO NA is available from the StaBank on the web-site of Statistics Norway:
In addition to news releases and other publications (see sections 10.1 and 10.2), information on national accounts may be posted using social media.
https://twitter.com/stats_norway?lang=en
10.6. Documentation on methodology
The general methodological framework for the compilation of national accounts in the EU is ESA 2010.
In addition, several handbooks have been developed to help compilers to produce national accounts data. Some of the most important methodological manuals are the Handbook on quarterly national accounts, Manual on regional accounts methods, Eurostat Manual of Supply, Use and Input-Output Tables, Manual on Government Deficit and Debt. Also, guidance manuals on specific topics are available, e.g. compilation guide on land estimation, compilation guide on inventories, Manual on measuring Research and Development in ESA 2010.
The manuals above specifically apply to EU national accounts statistics. However, world-wide equivalents are often also available: SNA 2008, Quarterly National Accounts Manual, Handbook on Input-Output Table Compilation and Analysis, Government Finance Statistics Manual.
Documentation on the NO NA is available on the Statistics Norway web-site:
The importance of national accounts requires that documentation should be available on the procedures applied for quality management and quality assessment. Examples of such documentation are national accounts quality reports, quality studies and reports on revision analysis.
Supervisory and control systems in NO NA:
Producing and publishing the national accounts (NA) is a risky business, the national accounts data being the result of multiple processes, each involving varying degrees of risk. The important question then is how risk is met, how it can be controlled.
Various measures can be taken to meet risk in national accounting. In this chapter the following elements of a system for dealing with risk are described:
monitoring statistical sources,
control and validation of source data,
management quality assurance and
internal audit.
This is in line with the recommendations from Eurostat on the description of the national accounts supervisory and control systems.
Our focus is on risk related to the current running operations of national accounts systems, while risk related to development programmes are less emphasized. Before we elaborate in more detail on which risk factors we are faced with in compiling the Norwegian national accounts, an introduction is given to the institutional setting of Statistics Norway and the institution’s general policy and efforts in the field of quality work.
The Statistics Act was approved by the Norwegian National Assembly (Stortinget) in 1989 and stipulates that Statistics Norway is the central body for preparation and dissemination of official statistics. Statistics Norway is subject to supervisory guidelines and financial frameworks set for its business at any time by the Government and Stortinget, but the Statistics Act stipulates that Statistics Norway is an independent institution in its field which includes a comprehensive research activity. This means that Statistics Norway is responsible for the total statistical product within the guidelines and budgets set by superior bodies. Statistics Norway determines the statistical methods which are to form the basis for preparation of given statistics and is responsible for how and when statistics are published.
Of high importance is also the privilege given to Statistics Norway to use administrative data-processing systems in the state administration and in nationwide municipal organisations as the basis for official statistics[1]. This fact and the policy of user orientation have led to the establishment of advisory bodies where the external members represent both user segments and data suppliers. Here broad discussions take place on reporting, statistical methods and the dissemination of statistics. The final word lies however, in all subject matters, with Statistics Norway.
Within Statistics Norway there has been a clear development the last decade, inspired by the international trends, to improve the quality of the statistics by focusing more sharply on controlling the processes behind the production and dissemination of statistics, see Sæbø (2009)[2]. Several initiatives can be mentioned to illustrate this, among them training of statistical guides, introduction of systems for enhancement and standardisation of statistical production and the introduction of risk analysis.
The strengthening of quality work is perhaps best manifested through the establishment of a separate Department of Management Support (staff unit) given the responsibility of developing and supporting the work on quality across all statistical fields. Systems that have been adopted and put into use includes the coordination of samples, checklists for data collections (including registers), projects linked to micro data and metadata and quality indicators and development of systems for user management.
Dealing with risk implies thinking along two dimensions. First, the probability of some particular events to occur, for example a computer breaking down or a staff member being taken ill. Secondly, the consequence of a particular event taking place. For example when NA tables are not placed on the web site at the announced date, or incorrect NA data are published. A risk analysis on NA thus will have as its starting point a description of the processes involved in producing and publishing NA. Secondly, we must identify risk factors connected with each sub activity, ranking them according to both probability of some incident to happen and the consequence of that incident happening.
The NA production and publishing process can be broken down into a set of sub activities shown in the following figure:
The production of NA – short and long term processes/activities.
Time horizon
Process/activity
Short term
Production of source statistics
Transmission
and translation
of source data
Operation of NA compilation systems
Control and approval of NA data
Publishing and reporting
Long term
Development of source statistics
Designing the NA model and methodology
Constructing NA technical (IT) systems
Building analytical capacity
Constructing dissemination platform
The shaded areas represent processes and activities controlled by the Division for national accounts within Statistics Norway, while the non-shaded areas represent activities outside the direct control of the NA division. When risk factors are identified it is of utmost importance that the ownership to the corresponding process or activity is identified. Otherwise the responsibility for taking the correct measures to meet the risk cannot be placed.
It must be noted however that the NA production or compilation process does not follow a strict chronologic order as indicated by figure 1. Many activities are interwoven and take place simultaneously. Also, to some degree the compilation of NA is an iterative process, meaning that it may be necessary to repeat earlier steps. It is also important to keep in mind that each step includes various degrees of both methodology aspects and more technical aspects. For example will Transmission and translation of source data depend on both pure technical solutions in the transmission of source data into the NA model, and decisions and choices of a more theoretical and methodological nature in translating source data into the NA definitions and concepts.
In addition to the identification of various steps or processes in the production of NA, risk analysis can be related to the various NA products, i.e. quarterly NA, annual NA, institutional sector accounts, BoP, satellite accounts. Most probably however many of the same risk factors will be identified across the different products. In the following examples of risk factors related to NA work are given. We start in the left hand side of the table above:
i. Production of source statistics
In a short term perspective of the current compilation of NA there is a risk that source data are not supplied from the statistics divisions within the agreed time frame. Whatever the reason, this will be outside the direct control of the Division of national accounts. The utmost consequence will be a delay, or even worse, a failure in the publishing and international reporting of NA.
ii. Transmission and translation of source data
In the current compilation of NA there is always the risk that source data are not received in a correct format or structure. The reason may be that changes to the source data in terms of structure or coding has been done and that Division of national accounts has not been informed about or not apprehended this change. The consequence may be for the best part a delay in the compilation process, or more seriously that source data are not correctly translated which subsequently affects the NA results.
As an example of a more long term risk factor we can point to the design of the operational NA model itself. The operational model can be said to be an approximation of the theoretical NA model as outlined in the SNA or ESA. There will always be a risk that some theoretical concepts, definitions or accounting rules have been misunderstood and thus be the source of miscalculation in the operational model, in turn resulting in NA figures not in accordance with the definitions of international recommendations. Even if the operational model is correctly formulated there exist a risk that source data are misunderstood, disturbing the translation into NA concepts and ultimately leading to incorrect NA figures.
iii. Operation of the NA compilation system
The current operation of the NA compilation system comprises many different activities. Some of them are correcting and adjusting initial input data;
doing estimations with basis in source data for detailed industries or other parts of the economy;
balancing the detailed supply and use tables;
conducting consistency checks along various dimensions on institutional sector accounts; and
deriving aggregates and balancing items of the NA.
Given a correct defined NA operational model, the most important risk factor is the possibility of incorrect estimations of NA input figures. This is an apparent risk as long as the detailed estimations based on the input figures for the various parts of the economy, for example the estimation of the production account for each detailed industry, are carried out by different responsible persons using individual algorithms for each industry formulated locally on personal computers.
iv. Control and approval of NA data
It is the responsibility of the NA management to control and final approve the NA data before publication. How can it be assured that the correct decisions are taken in the approval process? There are many examples of NA figures being changed in the last minute through a final management control. The challenge is to conduct such a control in a systematic and documented manner.
v. Publishing and reporting
What can go wrong in presenting final NA data on the web site of Statistics Norway according to the planned time schedule? The final steps in placing the NA data on the web site of Statistics Norway is the responsibility of the Division for Web and Publishing within the Department of Human Resources and Communication. They are responsible for the lay out and the actual placing of the press releases and tables on the web site. The text and data or tables are transferred from the Division of national accounts to the Division of Web and Publishing according to a fixed layout and a fixed time table. It has happened that a wrong set of tables have been transferred to and placed on the web site.
Before discussing measures taken by Statistics Norway in general and the Division of national account in particular to meet the risk factors given as examples above, an important final question to reflect upon is whether some risks are absolutely non-acceptable? Here several issues can be mentioned, all falling within a broader concept of the reputation of Statistics Norway and ultimately the reputation of the statistics itself: confidentiality, objectivity and independency, equality in serving customers etc. These are issues however, not confined only to the subject of NA, but are just as relevant for the statistical institution (Statistics Norway) as a whole, and on which the consensus probably is that Statistics Norway in these areas should act with absolute risk aversion. The following deals with various measures to be taken to meet the different risks in producing and publishing NA.
To be able to understand the content of source data and to avoid misunderstanding regarding the structure and coding of source data files submitted to the Division of national accounts, meetings are held on a regular basis between the Division of national accounts and the statistics divisions. There will also be close contact on a more current ad hoc basis. One important fact in this regard is that nearly one hundred per cent of all input data to the NA are supplied from within Statistics Norway. This facilitates free and open flow of information between involved parties. In addition automatic controls have been set up to give warning on changes in the coding of many of the source data.
One of the more striking attributes of the national accounts is its ability to detect inconsistencies in the statistical source material. This is achieved for example by balancing supply and use of detailed products. When major inconsistencies are discovered, specific quality projects involving both the Division of national accounts and the relevant statistical departments are initiated, seeking information on the reason for inconsistencies and practical measures to improve the situation.
To meet the risk of carrying out miscalculations of NA figures a project has been launched to standardise the estimations across industries. This policy is facilitated by the standardisation of the input data that has taken place the last decade in terms of accounting based structural business statistics (SBS) for almost all industries. A part of this standardisation process involves transforming estimation procedures from individual designed Excel routines to joint SAS routines. To reduce the risk ofmiscalculations of input data to NA, standardisation of such estimations across industries or other NA areas is sought.
The conclusive responsibility of the NA figures is of course with the director general of Statistics Norway, and indeed he is literally involved in analysing and finalising the NA data. Statistics Norway has a large research department doing quarterly projections and forecasts of the Norwegian economy based on the latest available NA data. Every quarter before the publication of quarterly NA, and once a year before publication of revised annual data, a meeting is held with the director general and representatives from the research department to discuss, analyse and making proposals for adjustments to the NA data. It must be understated that the participation of the director general at these meetings is in his capacity as an experienced economist, model builder and forecaster and not in his capacity as director general as such. The feedback from the research department in this meeting and indeed also earlier in the process of making NA data, are of great importance to the final assessment and approval of the NA data by the management of the Division of NA.
The analysing and final approval of the NA data is done both in terms of consistency checks within the NA framework, using accounting identities in various directions, and plausibility checks based on the management’s collective knowledge of the Norwegian economy and its business cycles. Examples of subjects covered in plausibility checks are productivity in industries, the ratio between theoretical value added tax and paid value added tax and rate of return on foreign investments. Also, at an earlier stage in the compilation process meetings are held with the various statistical divisions to get their comments and feedback on the results of the quarterly NA data. Detailed minutes are made and circulated from these meetings.
What potential risk factors exits to damage the management control and approval of the NA data? Most apparently would be the lack of analytical capacity within the fields of national accounting and business cycle analysis among the management personnel on the various levels. This must be regarded a more long term risk factor to be met through the active recruitment and education policy of Statistics Norway in general and for the Division of National Accounts and research Department in particular. The responsibility the final approval of NA data must be clearly placed and a system for retrospective insight into the decisions made at this stage should be easily available. Minutes from the approval meeting will serve this need.
It is the responsibility of the management of NA to make sure that correct tables and data are transferred for final publication and dissemination. A check point should be established to secure that the correct set of tables are transferred from the Division of National Accounts to the Division of Web and Publishing.Such a control must be designed by the two involved parties in cooperation. Likewise a set of controls should be constructed to check the data reported to international organisations. Here the automatic controls on incoming data established by Eurostat could serve as a standard. In a more long term perspective a risk of failure in publishing data occurs when major changes is done to the publishing and reporting platform. Recently such a project took place in Statistics Norway and it was of vital importance that the actual change over to a new platform was not effectuated until the new system had been tested in full scale.
The last decades Statistics Norway has been subject to several reviews or assessments from external bodies. In 2002 an IMF mission[5] (ROSK) undertook an evaluation of national accounts, balance of payments and other vital short-term statistics. Under the umbrella of the European Statistics Code Practice a peer review mission[6] to Statistics Norway took place in 2014. This assessment covered in principle all activities and all aspects of Statistics Norway.
Finally, it can be mentioned that the most recent Eurostat GNI missions to Statistics Norway took place in 2009-2010, as part of the European Commission’s supervision of the estimation of Gross National Income in all member states[7]. All these assessments, covering different part of the total statistical product, gave rather favourable reviews.
When it comes to initiatives on internal audits, the following elements can be mentioned. In 2009 Statistics Norway appointed a director for internal audit in its effort to ensure that work on quality improvements is in accordance with plans and objectives for all parts of the institution. The mandate for this position states that the director for internal audit twice a year will submit a report to the director general on the ongoing work in this field, see Statistisk sentralbyrå (2009). An important component in the new initiative within quality improvements is the introduction of risk analysis at the institutional level[8]. As an integral part of the Work plan for 2012, Statistics Norway 2012 published a risk assessment covering eight different fields, of which five within the production of statistics.
In 2008 a quality review, based on Eurostat’s self-evaluation form (DESAP), resulted in proposals for changes that have already been implemented or are about to be implemented.
Finally could be mentioned that as far back as 1990s statistical guides were introduced, in which selected staff members with some experience are further educated in the skills of guiding development projects in the various statistical fields. This has contributed to the improvement of both the efficiency in and documentation of development projects in Statistics Norway.
Producing and publishing NA statistics implies taking risks, so does developing and improving the statistics. The challenge is to control the risk factors. This chapter has described the organisational arrangements and practical routines to be seen as part of the supervisory and control system of the Norwegian national accounts. It gives a bird’s eye view of the current situation, and gives also some hints in which areas improvements should be reached. This indicates that the systems will be further developed in the years to come, bearing in mind that the decision on improving or building new elements should be taken on the basis of a cost-benefit analysis taking into account the limited resources available to the NA compilation activities.
11.1. Quality assurance
Quality of national accounts data is assured by strict application of ESA 2010 concepts and by applying the guidelines of the ESS handbook for quality reports.
During the overall compilation process, national and regional accounts data undergo several kinds of quality checks, e.g. ex-ante (source statistics), ongoing (results), ex-post (methods used) and external checks (Eurostat, European or national Court of Auditors, IMF).
See chapter 10.7.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
The national practice could be reported, for example by providing a link to the national quality report delivered by Eurostat or other nationally released quality reports (or providing a summary description of its content).
See chapter 10.7
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
National accounts data provide key information for economic policy monitoring and decision making, for forecasting, for administrative purposes, for informing the general public about economic developments (directly or indirectly via news agencies), and as input for economic research.
At national level, ministries of finance and regional development, scientific and academic communities and economic researchers are usually the entities who most use national and regional accounts data.
Statistics Norway is frequently in contact with the users of the NO NA, both national users and internationmal users, including international organisations as Eurostat, IMF, OECD and United Nations.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
Views and opinions of users of national accounts statistics can be collected and analysed as one of the tools to 'measure' the relevance of national accounts data.
Statistcs Norway has so far not carried out a survey on user statisfaction on the NO NA.
12.3. Completeness
In most countries national accounts cover the domains national accounts main aggregates, government accounts, sector accounts regional accounts and supply and use tables. However, the content of the data on these domains as well as the (details of the) various breakdowns (by region, sector, industry, product, etc.) may deviate per country, depending on national needs and available sources.
The ESA 2010 transmission programme, consisting of 22 tables across all national accounts domains (see section10.3) defines the minimum national accounts data set that must be available in all Member States of the EU.
On the national level the NO NA comprise also balance of payments (BoP), Labour accounts and various satellite accounts.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
Please confer with the Eurostat Quality Report on the NO NA.
13.2. Sampling error
Not applicable.
13.3. Non-sampling error
Not applicable.
14.1. Timeliness
National accounts data should become available to users as timely as possible, taking into account the frequency of the data (annual or quarterly), the character of the data (info on the structure of an economy or on conjuncture developments) and an adequate balance between accuracy and timeliness.
The ESA 2010 transmission programme defines the required timeliness for all national accounts tables. Quarterly tables should become available between 2 and 3 months after the quarter-end. The annual tables have to be transmitted between 2 months (main aggregates) and 36 months (supply and use tables) after the end of the reference year.
Please confer with the Eurostat Quality Report on the NO NA.
14.2. Punctuality
Good practice requires that the dates on which national accounts data become available are pre-announced and that the pre-announced publication dates are met.
National accounts data transmissions in the framework of the ESA 2010 transmission programme should be punctually delivered to Eurostat at the timeliness defined in the transmission programme (or before).
Please confer with the Eurostat Quality Report on the NO NA.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
The geographical comparability of national accounts in Member States of the EU is ensured by the application of common definitions of the European System of Accounts ESA 2010). Worldwide geographical comparison is also possible as most non-European countries apply the SNA 2008 guidelines, and SNA 2008 is consistent with ESA 2010.
15.2. Comparability - over time
As the data for all reference periods are compiled according to the requirements of the ESA 2010, national accounts data are fully comparable over time. Also, in the case of fundamental changes to methods or classifications, revisions of long time series are performed, usually going far back into the past.
The NO NA contain consistent time series back to 1970 for the SUT-based NA-variables, back to 1978 for Institutional non-financial sector accounts, back to 1995 for Financial sector accounts and back to 1981 for balance of payments.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
Within the system of national accounts there is full consistency between the domains: annual and quarterly national accounts, government accounts, sector accounts, financial accounts, regional accounts, supply and use tables. However, in practice full consistency may not always be possible and temporary discrepancies might occur. They are usually the result of vintage differences.
Primary statistics like structural business statistics (SBS), short term statistics (STS) and labour force statistics (LFS) are widely used as input for national accounts. However, there is no full consistency between these statistical domains and national accounts. Main reasons are differences in concepts/definitions and in coverage. The NO Balance of payments (BoP) is however fully consistent with the NO NA.
15.4. Coherence - internal
See section 15.3 (Coherence - cross domain).
Not available.
17.1. Data revision - policy
National accounts data are subject to continuous revisions as new input data become available. They are called routine revisions and entail regular revisions of country data and of the European aggregates, which are derived from the former.
More rarely, exceptional revisions (called benchmark revisions) will result from major changes in data sources, classifications or methodology. For example, when changing from ESA95 to ESA 2010, a benchmark revision occurred at country level and at euro area/EU data level.
Two Task Forces developed proposals for a more harmonised approach for benchmark and routine revisions. The one under the auspices of the Directors of Macroeconomic Statistics (DMES) dealt with benchmark revision policy, the other under the auspices of the Committee on Monetary, Financial, and Balance of Payments Statistics (CMFB) on the European Harmonised Revision Policy dealing with routine revisions.
In Norway Integrated annual accounts are compiled in four successive versions, of which the first three are provisional and the fourth being a final version. There is a clear distinction between the first three versions - which are based on accumulated quarterly compiled estimates - and the last which regularly are based on annual data sources. The third version, like the first two, is also using the quarterly accounting system as a frame but is incorporating some annual data sources. This kind of cycle of producing and publishing annual national accounts estimates has been established a fairly long time ago in Norway. Alterations have been made in reducing time lags of the third and fourth versions to meet ESA reporting obligations more timely, while the time lags of the first and second versions now meet regular quarterly dissemination cycle.
17.2. Data revision - practice
While revisions should be seen as a process to progressively improve the quality of national accounts as e.g. better sources and/or methods become available, the availability of metadata on revisions is a key element for understanding national accounts data and revisions between subsequent releases.
Therefore, information on the main reasons for revisions and their nature (new source data available, new methods, etc.) as well as possibly quantitative and qualitative assessment on the average size of revisions and their direction based on historical data is required.
NO NA was in 2017 subject to minor backwards revisisons back to 2007.
18.1. Source data
National and regional accounts compilation builds up on statistics that are primarily collected for other purposes (primary statistics).
It relies on a variety of data sources, including administrative data: car and business registers, accounting statements, tax data, budgetary reports, population censuses, statistical surveys of businesses and households, statements of supervising institutions and branch organisations, annual and quarterly reports, trade statistics on goods and services, balance of payments information.
There is no single survey source for national accounts. Sources vary from country to country and provide statistical information on a large set of economic, social, financial and environmental phenomena, which may not be strictly related to national accounts.
Further information on data sources can be found on the national website:
https://www.ssb.no/en
18.2. Frequency of data collection
National accounts are usually compiled on an annual or quarterly basis from other primary statistics. The frequency of data collection of primary statistics varies according to the nature of the data source. For example, business statistics are typically available on a monthly (and quarterly) basis. Some households' surveys are available on quarterly or annual frequency (sometimes even less frequent). Availability of administrative data varies from country to country. Population censuses are mostly collected every decade.
The frequency and timing of the compilation of national accounts are not necessary aligned with the frequency and timing of (all) primary statistics data collections.
National accounts departments in Norway do not collect data themselve,s but receive them from other departments or institutions.
18.4. Data validation
Data validation refers to any activity aimed at verifying that the value of a data item comes from a given set of acceptable values. It is a key task performed in all statistical domains and particularly important for national accounts, which is a key dataset for economic analysis and policy decisions.
In order to increase overall data quality and workflow efficiency, the European Statistical System (ESS) is moving towards more harmonisation of validation activities including the definition of common standards, tools and support for implementation (see ESS validation website). National accounts are a pilot in this area. An ESA 2010 Task Force on validation was established in 2015 to agree and document validation rules in an ESA 2010 validation handbook and progressively implement them in a pre-validation service for national accounts data.
The confrontation of data from different sources is an integral part of the national accounts compilation. Source data used in national accounts undergo a sequence of checks within NSIs. For the validation of national accounts data, country X applies minimum validation rules agreed with Eurostat and provides metadata to support the validation process with respect to revisions and outliers. Further information on validation checks can be found on the website.
18.5. Data compilation
Data sources, methods and compilation techniques are country specific, but should be employed in such a way that the definitions and concepts in ESA 2010 are met. Many guidance documents on general and specific national accounts compilation issues are available. See for more details section 10.6.
The leading approach(es) to compile GDP in the framework of annual national accounts in NO is the production approach. Consistency is obtained via reconciliation/balancing process. Notably, changes in inventories and gross operating surplus and mixed income are derived as residuals. The same/another approach is used for the compilation of quarterly national accounts. Sector accounts are compiled after with main aggregates.
NO NA datasets are generally consistent.
18.6. Adjustment
The objectives of seasonal adjustment are to identify and remove seasonal fluctuations and calendar effects which can mask short and long-term movements in a time series and impede a clear understanding of underlying phenomena. Seasonal adjustment is therefore a fundamental process in the interpretation of time series to inform policy making (ESS guidelines on seasonal adjustment, 2015 Edition, Annex, point 1).
For selected sub-annual national accounts data, such as notably the quarterly main aggregates, time series are usually not only published in their unadjusted form, but also with various types of adjustment (e.g. seasonal, calendar, trend-cycle).
According to the ESA transmission programme, quarterly data are to be provided in non-seasonally adjusted form, as well as in seasonally adjusted form (including calendar adjustments, where relevant) except for previous year’s prices.
The provision of quarterly data that only include calendar adjustments is voluntary.
For sector accounts, seasonal adjustment (including calendar adjustments, where relevant) is compulsory for a limited set of series.
NO QNA use ARIMA methods to seasonal adjustments.
For more information on the Norwegian national accounts, please visit:
National accounts data concern all data produced and disseminated for an economy according to the definitions and guidelines of the European System of Accounts (ESA 2010).
National accounts provide data for the total economy, but may also include breakdowns of the total economy (into sectors, industries, products, regions, etc.). National accounts provide data for several domains: annual and quarterly national accounts (main aggregates), sector accounts, financial accounts, supply and use and input-output tables, regional accounts and government finance statistics.
One of the main aggregates of national accounts is the change rate of the price-adjusted gross domestic product (GDP), which indicates the economic development of a country of region and is also referred to as economic growth rate.
In Eurobase, countries' data are presented following the usual data structure.
At national level, data are commonly available for:
- annual and quarterly national accounts: 'main aggregates'
- annual and quarterly sector accounts
- annual financial accounts and balance sheets
- annual non-financial balance sheets
- supply and use and input-output tables
- annual and quarterly government finance statistics data: 'main aggregates', quarterly financial government accounts and government debt
- regional breakdowns of main national accounts variables and household accounts
- industry breakdowns of main national accounts variables
- industry by asset breakdowns (stocks and transactions)
- detailed data on taxes, social contributions and government expenditure by function
- pension entitlements in social insurance
28 June 2022
All statistical concepts and definitions to be used in national accounts are described in Annex A of the ESA 2010 Regulation (link to blue book on ESA2010 methodology). The two main sets of tables concern: (a) the institutional sector accounts; (b) the input-output framework, and the accounts by industry.
The sector accounts provide, by institutional sector, a systematic description of the different stages of the economic process: production, generation of income, distribution of income, redistribution of income, use of income and financial and nonfinancial accumulation. The sector accounts also include balance sheets to describe the stocks of assets, liabilities and net worth at the beginning and the end of the accounting period. The variables/concepts described in the sector accounts include transactions in products, transactions in non-produced non-financial assets, distributive transactions, transactions in financial assets and liabilities, other changes in assets, non-financial and financial assets and liabilities.
The input-output framework, through the supply and use tables, sets out in more detail the production process (cost structure, income generated and employment) and the flows of goods and services (output, imports, exports, final consumption, intermediate consumption and capital formation by product group). These variables are broken down by industry (NACE Rev. 2) and product (CPA 2014).
ESA 2010 also encompasses concepts of population and employment. Such concepts are relevant for the sector accounts, the accounts by industry and the supply and use framework.
Regional accounts provide regional breakdowns for major aggregates such as gross value added by industry, gross fixed capital formation and household income. Regional breakdowns are based on the NUTS classification. National accounts concepts are also used for regional accounts.
In addition Annex A of the ESA 2010 Regulation addresses and defines numerous other concepts and definitions, such as the definition of: statistical units and their groupings, flows and stocks, accounting rules (valuation, time of recording, consolidation and netting). The main features and principles for the compilation of national accounts can be found in Chapter 1.
Following the ESA 2010 guidelines, in national accounts two types of units and two corresponding ways of subdividing the economy are used: (a) institutional unit; (b) local kind-of-activity unit (local KAU). The first type is used for describing income, expenditure and financial flows as well as balance sheets. The second type of units is used for the description of production processes, for input-output analysis and for regional analysis.
An institutional unit is an economic entity characterised by decision-making autonomy in the exercise of its principal function. A resident unit is regarded as constituting an institutional unit in the economic territory where it has its centre of predominant economic interest if it has decision-making autonomy and either keeps a complete set of accounts, or is able to compile a complete set of accounts.
A local KAU groups all the parts of an institutional unit in its capacity as producer which are located in a single site or in closely located sites, and which contribute to the performance of an activity at the class level (four digits) of the NACE Rev. 2.
An institutional unit comprises one or more local KAUs; a local KAU belongs to one and only one institutional unit.
The national accounts population of a country consists of all resident statistical units (institutional units or local KAUs, see section 3.5). A unit is a resident unit of a country when it has a centre of predominant economic interest on the economic territory of that country, that is, when it engages for an extended period (one year or more) in economic activities on this territory.
National accounts are exhaustive. This means that all resident statistical units are in principle covered.
The reference area for national accounts is the total economy of a country. The total economy of a country can be broken down into regions. The NUTS classification provides a single, uniform breakdown of the economic territory of the Member States of the EU.
The usual reference period to be used for presenting national accounts data is the calendar year for annual data and the quarter for quarterly data.
Two basic kinds of information are recorded: flows and stocks. Flows refer to actions and effects of events that take place within a given period of time (year or quarter), while stocks refer to positions at a point of time (usually the beginning or end of a year or quarter).
Please confer with the Eurostat Quality Report on the NO NA.
With the exception of some variables concerning population and labour that are usually expressed in number of persons, hours or jobs, the ESA 2010 system shows all flows and stocks in monetary terms: in euros or other national currency. Flows and stocks shall be measured according to their exchange value, i.e. the value at which flows and stocks are in fact, or could be, exchanged for cash. Market prices are, thus, the ESA's reference for valuation.
In addition to measurement in current (market) prices, some national accounts variables are also expressed in previous year's prices and chain-linked volumes, see section 3.9. Furthermore, it is possible to derive growth rates and indices, and various other measures '(e.g. percentages, per capita data, data expressed in purchasing power standards)' can be applied as well.
Data sources, methods and compilation techniques are country specific, but should be employed in such a way that the definitions and concepts in ESA 2010 are met. Many guidance documents on general and specific national accounts compilation issues are available. See for more details section 10.6.
The leading approach(es) to compile GDP in the framework of annual national accounts in NO is the production approach. Consistency is obtained via reconciliation/balancing process. Notably, changes in inventories and gross operating surplus and mixed income are derived as residuals. The same/another approach is used for the compilation of quarterly national accounts. Sector accounts are compiled after with main aggregates.
NO NA datasets are generally consistent.
National and regional accounts compilation builds up on statistics that are primarily collected for other purposes (primary statistics).
It relies on a variety of data sources, including administrative data: car and business registers, accounting statements, tax data, budgetary reports, population censuses, statistical surveys of businesses and households, statements of supervising institutions and branch organisations, annual and quarterly reports, trade statistics on goods and services, balance of payments information.
There is no single survey source for national accounts. Sources vary from country to country and provide statistical information on a large set of economic, social, financial and environmental phenomena, which may not be strictly related to national accounts.
Further information on data sources can be found on the national website:
https://www.ssb.no/en
New quarterly national accounts data are published each quarter: 4 times per year. However, depending on circumstances and national practices, initially released quarterly national accounts data may be revised and disseminated again. Annual national accounts data are published at least once a year: when data for a new year are added. But, depending on country practices and revision policy, annual data can also be published more often, e.g. publication of a provisional estimate early in the calendar year and a revised one later in the calendar year.
National accounts are compiled in different versions. There are versions according to present status - final or provisional - detailed or less detailed, adjusted or unadjusted. Annual aggregated accounts are normally compiled in three consecutive provisional versions and a final one, and occasionally main revisions are undertaken later on. Following the establishing of modern national accounts some 60 years ago, there have been seven main revisions of national accounts in Norway, revised estimates initially published in 1962, 1973, 1995, 2002, 2006, 2011 and 2014.
Referring to versions compiled, including the periodicity, the current (2015) situation is reflected in the box in chapter 8 on Realease policy as the various national accounts compilations are concerned. Time lag in number of months is indicated. In 2015, the final figures for 2013 were published on 9 September, pushing forward the publication of final figures more than 2 months. The quarterly data for 2013 and forward will subsequently be harmonized with the final annual data in November 2015. The plan is however to have also the third provisional version (quarterly based) published simultaneously with the final figures for the previous year in September, i.e. after 9 months. Hopefully this can be achieved within a couple of years’ time.
National accounts data should become available to users as timely as possible, taking into account the frequency of the data (annual or quarterly), the character of the data (info on the structure of an economy or on conjuncture developments) and an adequate balance between accuracy and timeliness.
The ESA 2010 transmission programme defines the required timeliness for all national accounts tables. Quarterly tables should become available between 2 and 3 months after the quarter-end. The annual tables have to be transmitted between 2 months (main aggregates) and 36 months (supply and use tables) after the end of the reference year.
Please confer with the Eurostat Quality Report on the NO NA.
The geographical comparability of national accounts in Member States of the EU is ensured by the application of common definitions of the European System of Accounts ESA 2010). Worldwide geographical comparison is also possible as most non-European countries apply the SNA 2008 guidelines, and SNA 2008 is consistent with ESA 2010.
As the data for all reference periods are compiled according to the requirements of the ESA 2010, national accounts data are fully comparable over time. Also, in the case of fundamental changes to methods or classifications, revisions of long time series are performed, usually going far back into the past.
The NO NA contain consistent time series back to 1970 for the SUT-based NA-variables, back to 1978 for Institutional non-financial sector accounts, back to 1995 for Financial sector accounts and back to 1981 for balance of payments.
