Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union; 

ECB: European Central Bank;

OECD: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development; 

IMF: International Monetary Fund

UNSD: United Nations Statistics Division

Eurostat Unit C2 - National Accounts - production

For country data provided by Eurostat please contact: 

- for Main Aggregates: ESTAT-GDP-QUERY@ec.europa.eu;

- for Non-Financial Sector Accounts: ESTAT-SECTOR-QUERY@ec.europa.eu; and

- for Annual Financial Accounts: ESTAT-FINA@ec.europa.eu.

For country data provided by the ECB for (quarterly) Monetary Union Financial Accounts please contact: EuroAreaAccounts@ecb.europa.eu.

For country data provided by OECD please contact: Stat.Contact@oecd.org

For country data provided by IMF please contact: StatisticsQuery@imf.org

For country data provided by UNSD please contact: naq@un.org

For information which country data is provided by which organisation, please refer to section 3.1.

National accounts are a coherent set of macroeconomic indicators, which provide an overall picture of the economic situation and are widely used for economic analysis and forecasting, policy design and policy making.

The data presented in this collection are the results of a pilot exercise on the sharing selected main GDP aggregates, population and employment data collected by different international organisations. It was conducted by the Task Force in International Data Collection (TFIDC) which was established by the  Inter-Agency Group on Economic and Financial Statistics (IAG). 

The goal of this pilot was to develop a set of commonly shared principles and working arrangements for data cooperation that could be implemented by the international agencies. The data sets present national accounts data form various countries across the globe in one coherent folder, but users should be aware that these data are collected and validated by different organisations and not fully harmonised from a methodological point of view. 

The domain consists of the following collections:

The table below shows for each country which is the main authority validating the data.

For Eurostat countries national accounts are compiled using ESA 2010, which is compatible with SNA 2008 which is mostly used by other countries. 

Further methodological information can be found on the websites.

 *These countries are provided by Eurostat for all domains but for quarterly financial balance sheets and transactions, which are provided by the ECB (EU countries), OECD (OECD members) and the UNSD (other countries)

Data sources: National Statistical Authorities, transmitted to and technically validated by Eurostat, the OECD, the IMF and the UNSD. 

The national accounts classifications used in this data set are consistent with those in:

- Eurostat statistical classifications (including Eurostat's RAMON classification database)

- United Nations classification registry.

National accounts presented in this collection generally refer to the whole economy, with the exception of specific aggregates.

This domain encompasses the main aggregates and the sector account – financial and non-financial - on national accounts.

For the main aggregates on national accounts the main variables are: GDP and its components, employment, final consumption aggregates, gross capital formation aggregates, income, exports and imports, gross value added by industry, as well as population and employment figures.

In principle, the pilot project for international data sharing covers the following indicators:

• Gross domestic product at market prices
• Statistical discrepancy (expenditure approach)
• Statistical discrepancy (production approach)
• Statistical discrepancy (income approach)
• Output
• Intermediate consumption
• Gross value added at basic prices
• Value added excluding FISIM
• Taxes less subsidies on products
• Total final consumption expenditure
• Government final consumption expenditure
• Household final consumption expenditure
• Individual consumption expenditure
• Gross capital formation
• Gross fixed capital formation
• Exports of goods (fob) and services
• Imports of goods (fob) and services
• External balance of goods and services
• Compensation of employees
• Gross wages and salaries
• Operating surplus and mixed income, gross
• Taxes less subsidies on production
• Net primary income from RoW
• Gross national income at market prices
• Consumption of fixed capital
• Net national income at market prices
• Net current transfers from RoW
• Disposable income, net
• Adjustments (net equity, PF)
• National saving, net
• Net capital transfers from RoW
• (+/-) non-financial non-produced assets
• Net lending or net borrowing of the nation
• Gross values added by A*10 NACE category
• Total population
• Employment, domestic concept
• Employees, domestic concept
• Self-employed, domestic concept

For the non-financial sector accounts the main variables are:

• Output
• Intermediate consumption
• Imports of goods and services
• Exports of goods and services
• Gross value added
• Consumption of fixed capital
• Net value added
• Subsidies
• Compensation of employees
• Taxes on production and imports
• Gross operating surplus
• Gross mixed income
• Property income
• Balance of primary incomes, gross
• Current taxes on income, wealth etc.
• Social contributions and benefits
• Other current transfers
• Disposable income, gross
• Adjustment for the change in pension entitlements
• Final consumption expenditure
• Gross saving
• Capital transfers
• Gross fixed capital formation
• Net lending/borrowing
• Employment (in number of persons and number of hours worked)
• Total general government expenditure
• Total general government revenue

For the sector accounts financial balance sheets and transaction on national accounts the main variables are:

Total financial assets/liabilities

            F1        Monetary gold and special drawing rights (SDRs)

            F11      Monetary gold

            F12      Special drawing rights (SDRs)

            F2        Currency and deposits

            F21      Currency

            F22      Transferable deposits

            F29      Other deposits

            F3        Debt securities

            F31      Short-term debt securities

            F32      Long-term debt securities

            F4        Loans

            F41      Short-term - Loans

            F42      Long-term - Loans

            F5        Equity and investment fund shares

            F51      Equity

            F511     Listed shares

            F512     Unlisted shares

            F519     Other equity

            F52      Investment fund shares/ units

            F521     Money market fund shares /units

            F522     Non-Money market fund shares /units

            F6        Insurance, pensions and standardised guarantees

            F61      Non-life insurance technical reserves

            F62      Life insurance and annuity entitlements

            F63      Pension entitlements

            F63_F64_F65   Pension entitlements, claims of pension funds on pension managers and entitlements to non-pension benefits

            F64      Claims of pension funds on pension managers

            F65      Entitlements to non-pension benefits

            F66      Provisions for calls under standardised guarantees

            F7        Financial derivatives and employee stock options

            F71      Financial derivatives

            F72      Employee stock options

            F8        Other accounts receivable / payable

            F81      Trade credits and advances

            F89      Other accounts receivable/payable, excluding trade credits and advances

            BF90    Financial net worth

For further explanations on the indicators see: nama_10, namq_10, nasa_10_nf_tr, nasq_10_nf_tr, nasa_10_f and nasq_10_f metadata.

National accounts aim to capture economic activity within the domestic territory. They combine data from a host of base statistics, and thus they have no common sampling reference frame.

National accounts combine data from many source statistics and administrative sources. The concept of statistical population is not applicable in a national accounts context.

Please refer to section 3.1.

Coverage in time depends on the country and indicator and varies within the dataset. For most EU member states ESA 2010 data is available from 1995 onwards.

Many non-EU countries compile volume estimates in constant prices. Because the base period varies across countries the volume series are presented as an index.

Base periods are not applicable to chain linked volume series.

This is not applicable for financial and non-financial sector accounts.

National accounts data are typically transmitted in national currency, and Eurostat transforms these data in EUR/ECU whenever the exchange rates are available.

The units published in this dataset are currently the following:

• CP_MNAC: Current prices, million units of national currency
• CP_MEUR: Current prices, million euro

Additionally, main aggregates data are also expressed in current prices, previous year prices and chain-linked volumes, but some countries still use constant price series based on a specific base year. These series can then be converted into other currencies and used to derive indices or growth rates.

The units published for main aggregates also include the following:

• CP_MUSD: Current prices, million US dollars
• CLV_I10: Chain linked volumes, index 2010=100
• KP_I10: Constant prices, index 2010=100
• THS_HW: Thousand hours worked
• THS_PER: Thousand persons

However, not all units are available for all countries and indicators.

For further explanations on the units see: nama_10 and namq_10, nasa_10_nf_tr, nasq_10_nf_tr, nasa_10_f and nasq_10_f metadata.

The accounting period is the calendar year. Temporal coverage varying across geographical units.

Not applicable.

The data presented is based on an informal agreement between Eurostat, OECD, IMF and UNSD to provide data to other international organisations under the auspices of the Inter-Agency Group on Economic and Financial Statistics (IAG). More information on the IAG can be found here: http://www.principalglobalindicators.org/?sk=E30FAADE-77D0-4F8E-953C-C48DD9D14735

Only data flagged free for publication is disseminated in this dataset.

Only data flagged free for publication is disseminated in this dataset.

Data is disseminated on quarterly basis.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Daily, as transmitted by the data providing organisation.

Not available.

Not available.

The same dataset is published by the following organisations in their dissemination systems: BIS, ECB, Eurostat, IMF, OECD, UNSD, World Bank.

Not applicable.

Not available.

SNA 93: http://unstats.un.org/unsd/nationalaccount/sna1993.asp 

SNA 2008: http://unstats.un.org/unsd/nationalaccount/sna2008.asp 

ESA 95: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/en/web/products-manuals-and-guidelines/-/CA-15-96-001 

ESA 2010: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/esa-2010

http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/national-accounts/methodology

For an overview of which methodology is followed by which reference area, please check the table in section 3.1

Not available.

Assured by the national statistical office and the data providing organisation (see section 3.1 above for corresponding sending organisation for each reference area).

Not available.

Users of national accounts data are typically interested in analysing structural changes in the economy from a short and medium-term perspective.

National accounts data are a key instrument for economic analysis.

National accounts data provide detailed breakdowns on production, consumption, investment and income. The international data cooperation dataset shows a subset of these data.

Managed by sending organisation (see section 3.1 above for corresponding sending organisation for each reference area).

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Managed by sending organisation (see section 3.1 above for corresponding sending organisation for each reference area).

Managed through dissemination policies by each receiving organisation (see section 3.1 above for corresponding sending organisation for each reference area).

The data are compiled using the national accounts terminology.

Note: data may not be directly comparable as countries use different methodologies i.e. ESA2010, SNA 2008, SNA93 and the volume indices may be in chain linked volumes or constant prices.

Note: Data may be comparable over time only if they are compiled using the same methodology.

Managed by sending organisation (see section 3.1 above for corresponding sending organisation for each reference area).

Managed by sending organisation (see section 3.1 above for corresponding sending organisation for each reference area).

Not available.

National data are revised according to national schedules, and revisions are applied to Eurostat's online database as soon as they become available to Eurostat.

European aggregates are regularly updated according to a pre-announced release schedule (see dedicated website and nama_10 and namq_10 metadata).

For European non-financial sector accounts please refer to release calendars section on Eurostat website and sector accounts dedicated webpages.

Eurostat continuously updates European aggregates for annual financial accounts as soon as more countries’ data become available. Euro area quarterly financial accounts are compiled and disseminated by the ECB every quarter.

For financial accounts, some countries follow the Harmonized European Revision Policy in national accounts to a greater or lesser extent. Others revise according to national schedules. 

Routine revisions (or current revisions) are changes in published data which are related to the regular data production process and encompass all changes in national accounts estimates for a particular period from the first to the final estimate (e.g. estimated values for missing responses are replaced by reported figures).

Benchmark revisions (or major regular revisions) are revisions of data sources or methods used to estimate national accounts indicators. These can affect GDP, as well as other important macroeconomic indicators, and can cause discontinuities in time series. These occur due to changes in statistical methods, concepts, definitions, classifications, improved data sources or regular updates of the benchmarking period. They could be also caused by the correction of errors or revisions of values previously flagged as provisional.

Such benchmark revisions are visible in data series as significant level updates or changes having impact to growth rates or seasonal patterns. Due to their size, the major statistical revisions are important for the use of statistics and may change the assessment of the macro-economic situation. Therefore, a proper communication of major statistical revisions is essential to the credibility of official statistics.

For more information, please consult: Practical guidelines for revising ESA 2010 data.

National accounts data are subject to continuous routine revisions as new input data becomes available. 

Countries use many sources to compile their national accounts, among them administrative data from government, population censuses, business surveys and household surveys. No single survey can hence be referred to. Sources vary from country to country and may cover a large set of economic, social, financial and environmental items, which need not always be strictly related to national accounts. In any case, there is no single survey source for national accounts

Data are collected from national sources.  As the breadth of the sources varies, so does the frequency of collection, from monthly to annually, and in the case of population censuses they are mostly collected every decade.  

Data are transmitted via SDMX which introduced standardised codes.

National Accounts combine data from many source statistics. Techniques of data collection vary widely, depending on the compilation approach, the source statistics available, the particular account in the system of accounts, the timeliness of data release and other factors.

Source data undergo a sequence of checks within national statistical institutes. The international organisation responsible for transmitting the series checks national data mainly for completeness (coverage of reference periods and variables) and consistency (accounting consistency, time-consistency between quarterly and annual accounts and consistency over time) and follows up with national statistical institutes on any lack of quality in this respect.

The data are compiled at a national level.  Eurostat converts volume series into indices to enable comparability of the estimates.

Not applicable.

Due to different revision policy between countries, there may be a difference between the aggregates and the appropriate sum of national data between updates.