This paper outlines the IMF’s principal statistical publication, International Financial Statistics (IFS), has been published monthly since January 1948. In 1961, the monthly was supplemented by a yearbook, and in 1991 and 2000, respectively, IFS was introduced on CD-ROM and the Internet. IFS 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. Also, selected series are drawn from the country tables and published in area and world tables. The monthly printed issue of IFS reports current monthly, quarterly, and annual data, while the yearbook reports 12 observations of annual data. Most annual data on the CD-ROM and Internet begin in 1948; quarterly and monthly data generally begin in 1957; most balance of payments data begin in 1970.

During the past financial year, the IMF’s 189 member countries faced a number of pressing challenges. IMF work on these challenges - slower trade, declining productivity, gender inequality, inclusive growth, and debt management - is a central focus of this 2017 Annual Report.

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.

This paper discusses 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. From January 1981 to December 1985, the currencies and currency weights of the five members having the largest exports of goods and services during 1975–1979 were the US dollar, 42 percent; deutsche mark, 19 percent; French franc, Japanese yen, and pound sterling, 13 percent each. From January 1986 through December 1990, reflecting the 1980–1984, the weights had changed to US dollar, 42 percent; deutsche mark, 19 percent; Japanese yen, 15 percent; French franc and pound sterling, 12 percent each. From January 1991 to December 1995, reflecting the years 1985–1989, the weights were US dollar, 40 percent; deutsche mark, 21 percent; Japanese yen, 17 percent; French franc and pound sterling, 11 percent each.

The audited consolidated financial statements of the International Monetary Fund as of April 30, 2019 and 2018

An empirical investigation of financial crises during the last 800 years.

This monthly issue of International Financial Statistics (IFS) contains country tables for most IMF members, as well as for Anguilla, Aruba, the Central African Economic and Monetary Community, Curaçao, the currency union of Curaçao and Sint Maarten, the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union, the euro area, Montserrat, the former Netherlands Antilles, Sint Maarten, the West African Economic Monetary Union, West Bank and Gaza, and some non-sovereign territorial entities for which statistics are provided internationally on a separate basis. Exchange rates in IFS are classified into three broad categories, reflecting the role of the authorities in determining the rates and/or the multiplicity of the exchange rates in a country. The three categories are the market rate, describing an exchange rate determined largely by market forces; the official rate, describing an exchange rate determined by the authorities—sometimes in a flexible manner; and the principal, secondary, or tertiary rate, for countries maintaining multiple exchange arrangements.