This paper analyses that the IMF has published data on a basis that is consistent across countries and across time periods. Such data consistency is required to perform cross-country data comparisons, track growth rates across time, and produce regional or global data aggregates. The methodologies, compiling practices, and data sources available through data.imf.org and DVD-ROM are based on information provided to the IMF by reporting countries. The descriptions are intended to enhance user understanding of the coverage, as well as the limitations, of individual country data. The estimation procedure is based largely on the use of the WEO database in BPM6 format. For a variety of reasons, however, countries may not correctly record some transactions, or they classify corresponding transactions differently. Under these circumstances, errors and omissions in the national data and asymmetries (discrepancies) in the global statistics arise.

This paper focuses on composition of the basket that was changed on the basis of updated data for 1972–1976. The weights of some currencies were also changed. The amount of each of the 16 currencies in the revised basket was such as to ensure that the value of the Special Drawing Right (SDR) in terms of any currency on June 30, 1978 was exactly the same in the revised valuation as in the previous valuation. Since January 1, 1981, the value of the SDR has been determined based on the currencies of the five member countries having the largest exports of goods and services during the 5-year period ending one year before the date of the latest revision to the valuation basket. Broadly reflecting the currencies’ relative importance in international trade and finance, the weights are based on the value of the exports of goods and services of the members issuing these currencies and the balances of their currencies officially held by members of the IMF.

This annual publication provides detailed data on transactions in revenue, expense, net acquisition of assets and liabilities, other economic flows, and balances of assets and liabilities of general government and its subsectors. The data are compiled according to the framework of the 2014 Government Finance Statistics Manual, which provides for several summary measures of government fiscal performance.

This paper discusses those countries that have never reported data by trade partners to the IMF or to the United Nations COMTRADE, estimates are obtained by using directly the corresponding bilateral flow reported by counterpart countries. For example, if country B has never reported trade statistics with a geographical breakdown, but country A has reported imports from country B, then A’s data for imports are used to estimate B’s exports. Because imports are valued on a cost, insurance, and freight (CIF) basis and exports on a free on board (FOB) basis, the data are adjusted for the cost of freight and insurance. A CIF/FOB factor of 1.06 is currently used. Reported imports CIF are divided by 1.06 (i.e., the CIF/FOB factor) to give partner country estimates of exports FOB. Similarly, reported exports FOB are multiplied by 1.06 to give partner country imports CIF.

This paper analyzes In the World and Regional Tables, missing data are estimated for countries by IMF staff to the extent possible. The estimation procedure is based largely on the use of the World Economic Outlook (WEO) database in BPM6 format. The BPM6-based WEO provides expanded data coverage for some series and facilitates an improved basis for estimation procedures used in BOPSY. However, data published in BOPSY may differ from balance-of-payments data published in the WEO mainly due to timing and estimation methodology differences. The following outlines the methodology used to gap-fill balance-of-payments data where country data are missing. For goods and services transactions, where data gaps exist in years prior to estimates are made by applying the growth rates derived from the WEO for the missing year(s) to the latest reported annual data (debits and credits). In cases where there are gaps for the entire period, WEO data are inserted directly.

The 2017 Annual Report of the IMF Committee on Balance of Payments Statistics provides an overview of trends in global balance of payments statistics.

This paper discusses the complete set of updated country notes is accessible from the IFS Online Service internet site (in the Metadata tab), and appear on the DVD-ROM edition of IFS under the Publications tab. A print edition of Country Notes may be ordered separately by subscribers of the DVD-ROM. The sources for the unit labor cost data are the OECD Analytical Database (quarterly unit labor cost in manufacturing) and IMF staff (annual data interpolated into higher frequencies). Euro area unit labor cost is used as a proxy for a number of economies for which data are unavailable: Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, and Slovak Republic. For manufactured goods, trade by type of good and market is distinguished in the database. For primary products, the weights assigned depend principally on a country’s role as a global supplier or buyer of the product. Trade in crude petroleum, petroleum, and other energy products are excluded. For some countries that heavily depend on tourism, bilateral exports of tourism services averaged over 2004–2006 are also included in calculating the competitiveness weights.