Imf Government Finance Statistics Yearbook

This Manual, which updates the first edition published in 1986, is a major advance in the standards for compilation and presentation of fiscal statistics. It is intended as a reference volume for compilers of government finance statistics, fiscal analysts, and other users of fiscal data. The Manual introduces accrual accounting, balance sheets, and complete coverage of government economic and financial activities. It covers concepts, definitions, classifications, and accounting rules, and provides a comprehensive framework for analysis, planning, and policy determination. To the extent possible, the Manual has been harmonized with the System of National Accounts 1993.

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.

The 2007–09 international financial crisis underscored the importance of reliable and timely statistics on the general government and public sectors. Government finance statistics are a basis for fiscal analysis and they play a vital role in developing and monitoring sound fiscal programs and in conducting surveillance of economic policies. The Government Finance Statistics Manual 2014 represents a major step forward in clarifying the standards for compiling and presenting fiscal statistics and strengthens the worldwide effort to improve public sector reporting and transparency.

A useful but little known feature of the IMF’s Government Finance Statistics Yearbook (GFSY) is the information on the structure of governments. Institutional tables, included in the GFSY, provide detail on the central, state, and local levels of governments, social security, and extrabudgetary units. We refer to the main levels of government as GL1, GL2, and GL3 in ascending order of institutional coverage. We present maps of the various levels of government for 74 countries to illustrate the usefulness of this database and make it more accessible to users. The maps provide information about how centralized or decentralized government finances and employment are and their size relative to the overall economy. Government map data facilitate the monitoring of fiscal policy and fiscal rules.

The demand for high quality detailed public finance statistics covering a globally representative sample of countries has increased dramatically during the recent financial crisis. Due to the complexity of public finance statistics, however, such data tend to be either available in oversimplified high level aggregates and lacking in methodological transparency, or, available with a great level of detail and a unified methodological approach yet overly complicated to understand. The IMF’s Government Finance Statistics Yearbook (GFSY) withdata over an almost 40 year period for almost 140 countries is a valuable database but with a complex structure requiring some specialty knowledge that most data users do not have. The IMF's Statistics Department embarked on several initiatives to improve its accessibility. The purpose of this paper is to provide a non-technical overview of the methodology and advantages of the GFSY database and discussion of how the database is improving to better meet the needs of the user community.

The IMF Government Finance Statistics contains statistical data on government financial operations for 156 countries. Where reported, the database contains time series from 1990 onwards using the Government Finance Statistics Manual 2001 (GFSM 2001) framework. The statistics, issued quarterly, are updated as new data are received and time series become available. These time series present combined statistics on revenue, expense, transactions in non-financial assets, and financial assets and liabilities, as well as on stocks of assets and liabilities of general government and its subsectors.

Transparency in government operations is widely regarded as an important precondition for macroeconomic fiscal sustainability, good governance, and overall fiscal rectitude. Notably, the Interim Committee, at its April and September 1996 meetings, stressed the need for greater fiscal transparency. Prompted by these concerns, this paper represents a first attempt to address many of the aspects of transparency in government operations. It provides an overview of major issues in fiscal transparency and examines the IMF's role in promoting transparency in government operations.

The Government Finance Statistics: Compilation Guide for Developing Countries represents a new approach by the IMF's Statistics Department (STA) to assist developing countries to compile government finance statistics (GFS) in accordance with the guidelines of the Government Finance Statistics Manual 2001 (GFSM 2001). The Guide specifically addresses issues relevant to developing countries. The Guide is based on our experience over many years of technical assistance and training to member countries, addressing common problems they face, and answering questions that often arise. Examples, figures, and tables are used to facilitate the reader's understanding of the topics discussed.

The 2005 Government Finance Statistics, Yearbook contains detailed data on revenue, expense, transactions in assets and liabilities, and stocks of assets and liabilities for the general government sector and its subsectors. The data and related information are presented in world, country and institutional tables for 130 reporting countries presented in the framework of the Government Finance Statistics Manual 2001. (ISBN: 158906061X).

The demand for high quality detailed public finance statistics covering a globally representative sample of countries has increased dramatically during the recent financial crisis. Due to the complexity of public finance statistics, however, such data tend to be either available in oversimplified high level aggregates and lacking in methodological transparency, or, available with a great level of detail and a unified methodological approach yet overly complicated to understand. The IMF’s Government Finance Statistics Yearbook shows fiscal data of around 140 countries following the Government Finance Statistics Manual 2001 framework. The associated database includes data series covering over an almost 40 year period. The IMF's Statistics Department embarked on several initiatives to improve its accessibility.