The IMF’s principal statistical publication, International Financial Statistics (IFS) Online, is the standard source of international statistics on all aspects of international and domestic finance. For most countries, IFS Online reports data on balance of payments, international investment position, international liquidity, monetary and financial statistics, exchange rates, interest rates, prices, production, government accounts, national accounts, and population. Updated monthly.

This paper explores International Financial Statistics (IFS) that contains country tables for most IMF members, as well as for Anguilla, Aruba, the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC), Curaçao, the currency union of Curaçao and Sint Maarten, the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU), the euro area, Montserrat, the former Netherlands Antilles, Sint Maarten, the West African Economic Monetary Union (WAEMU), West Bank and Gaza, and some non-sovereign territorial entities for which statistics are provided internationally on a separate basis. All trade figures in IFS are converted from national currency values to US dollars and from US dollar values to national currency. The country tables, euro area tables, and world tables provide measures of effective exchange rates, compiled by the IMF’s Research Department, Strategy, Policy, and Review Department, Statistics Department, and area departments. For manufactured goods, trade by type of good and market is distinguished in the database. So it is possible to allow at a disaggregated level for competition among various exporters in a foreign market (i.e., third-market competition) as well as that arising from bilateral trade links.

The April 2012 Global Financial Stability Report assesses changes in risks to financial stability over the past six months, focusing on sovereign vulnerabilities, risks stemming from private sector deleveraging, and assessing the continued resilience of emerging markets. The report probes the implications of recent reforms in the financial system for market perception of safe assets, and investigates the growing public and private costs of increased longevity risk from aging populations.

This paper provides notes to the country tables in the monthly issues provide information about exceptions in the choice of the consumer price index and the period average exchange rate index. For a relatively small number of countries, notes in the country tables in the monthly issues indicate where alternative price indices, such as the wholesale/producer price index or a weighted average of several price indices, are used; where data constraints have made it necessary to use weighting schemes based on aggregate bilateral non-oil trade data; and where trade in services (such as tourism) has been taken into account. When a country joins the IMF, it is assigned a quota that fits into the structure of existing quotas. Quotas are considered in the light of the member’s economic characteristics, and taking into account quotas of similar countries. Quotas are reviewed at intervals of not more than five years. The reviews take account of changes in the relative economic positions of members and the growth of the world economy.

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 2018 yearbook issue of International Financial Statistics (IFS) is a standard source of statistics on all aspects of international and domestic finance. The IMF publishes calculated effective exchange rates data only for countries that have given their approval. The country, euro area, and world tables provide measures of effective exchange rates, compiled by the IMF’s Research Department, Statistics Department, and area departments. The real effective exchange rate index in line rec is derived from the nominal effective exchange rate index, adjusted for relative changes in consumer prices. Consumer price indices, often available monthly, are used as a measure of domestic costs and prices for these countries.

This paper discusses that Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) have been allocated by the IMF to members that are participants in the SDR Department (at the time of allocation) in proportion to their quotas in the IMF. Six allocations, totaling 21.4 billion SDR, were made by the IMF in 1970, 1971, 1972, 1979, 1980, and 1981. In addition, a general allocation of 161.2 billion SDR was made on August 28, 2009, and a special allocation of 21.5 billion SDR was made on September 9, 2009. The IMF cannot allocate SDRs to itself, but can receive them from members through various financial transactions and operations. Entities authorized to conduct transactions in SDRs are the IMF itself, participants in the SDR Department, and other prescribed holders. The SDR can be used for a wide range of transactions and operations, including for acquiring other members’ currencies, settling financial obligations, making donations, and extending loans.