Special Data Dissemination Standard
SDDS - Internationally Accepted Statistical Methodologies
Following the IMF’s Executive Board decision to modify the SDDS, (see
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/sd/index.asp?decision=EBM/96/36) subscribers should explicitly refer to the relevant internationally accepted statistical methodology in their metadata posted on the DSBB and describe any deviations from it (usually under the DQAF code 2.1.1 concepts and definitions, but elsewhere where relevant). This should be done for each data category. Two examples are: a) if there are no deviations, the wording could be: "National accounts are compiled according to ESA95", and b) if there are deviations, the wording could be: "Balance of payments data are compiled according to BPM5, except for..." The internationally accepted statistical methodologies for the SDDS data categories are given in the table below. Some additional background documents are listed at the bottom of this page.
Internationally Accepted Statistical Methodologies for SDDS Data Categories
| Category | Methodology |
| Real Sector | |
| GDP: nominal, real,and associated prices or price indices |
(SNA 1993) - System of National Accounts 1993 (New York: a publication of the Commission of the European Communities, International Monetary Fund, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, United Nations, and the World Bank, 1993). The text can be found on the following UN website: http://unstats.un.org/unsd/sna1993/introduction.asp or (SNA 1968) - A System of National Accounts, Studies in Methods, Series F, No. 2, Rev. 3 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E. 69.XVII.3), 1968. |
| Production index/indices | International Recommendations for the Index of Industrial Production 2009 (New York, January 2009: United Nations Statistics Division) Global country consultation concluded on February 6, 2009. The draft text can be found at http://unstats.un.org/unsd/industry/iip_review.asp |
| Labor Market | Current International Recommendations on Labor Statistics, as updated (Geneva: International Labor Organization (ILO), 1985). |
| Price Indices | (CPI Manual 2004) - Consumer Price Index Manual: Theory and Practice 2004 (ILO, IMF, OECD, Eurostat, United Nations, and the World Bank), available on the following webpage: http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/stat/guides/cpi/index.htm. or (CPI Manual 1989) - Consumer Price Indices (Geneva, ILO: Ralph Turvey et. al, 1989). (PPI Manual 2004) - Producer Price Index Manual: Theory and Practice 2004 (ILO, IMF, OECD, UNECE, and World Bank), available on the following webpage: http://www.imf.org/external/np/sta/tegppi/index.htm. |
| Fiscal Sector | |
| General government operations (or public sector operations, PSO, as relevant) Central government operations Central government debt |
(GFSM 2001) - Government Finance Statistics Manual 2001 (Washington, D.C: IMF, 2001). The text can be found on the IMF’s website: http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/gfs/manual/index.htm. (GFSM 1986) - Government Finance Statistics Manual 1986 (Washington, D.C: IMF, 1986). Public Sector Debt Statistics: Guide for Compilers and Users, 2011: http://www.tffs.org/PSDStoc.htm. |
| Financial sector | |
| Depository corporations survey Central bank survey (CBS) |
(MFSM 2000) - Monetary and Financial Statistics Manual, 2000 (Washington, D.C: IMF, 2000). The text can be found on the IMF’s website: http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/mfs/manual/index.htm. or (MFS Compilation Guide) - Monetary and Financial Statistics: Compilation Guide (Washington, D.C: IMF, 2008). The text can be found on the IMF’s website: http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/cgmfs/eng/index.htm. |
| Interest rates | See SDDS Guide, p.38 http://dsbb.imf.org/images/pdfs/sdds_legal_text_english.PDF |
| Stock market | "Handbook on Securities Statistics—Prepublication draft of part 1: Debt: Debt Securities issues (Prepared by the Bank for International Settlements, the European Central Bank, and the International Monetary Fund). http://www.imf.org/external/np/sta/wgsd/pdf/051309.pdf |
| External sector | |
| Balance of payments | (BPM6) - Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual, sixth edition (Washington, D.C: IMF, 2008). http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/bop/2007/pdf/BPM6.pdf (BPM5) - Balance of Payments Manual, fifth edition (Washington, D.C: IMF, 1993). The text can be found on the IMF’s website: http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/bopman/bopman.pdf. (BPM4) - Balance of Payments Manual, fourth edition (Washington, D.C: IMF, 1977). |
| Official reserve assets (including the template on international reserves and foreign currency liquidity) | (Reserves Template Guidelines) - International Reserves and Foreign Currency Liquidity: Guidelines for a Data Template (Washington, D.C: IMF, 2012). The text can be found on the IMF’s website: http://www.imf.org/external/np/sta/ir/IRProcessWeb/dataguide.htm |
| Merchandise trade | (Trade Statistics Manual 2002) - Manual on Statistics of International Trade in Services, 2002 is available on the OECD website: http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/32/45/2404428.pdf. It is also available on the following website of the United Nations: http://unstats.un.org/unsd/tradeserv/manual.asp. |
| International investment position | (IIP 2002) - International Investment Position—(2002). The text can be found at the website: http://www.imf.org/external/np/sta/iip/iip.htm. |
| External debt | (External Debt Guide 2003) - External Debt Statistics: Guide for Compilers and Users (also called Debt Guide) (Washington, D.C: IMF, 2003). The text can be found on the IMF’s website: http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/eds/Eng/Guide/index.htm. |
| Exchange rate | See SDDS Guide, p.42 http://dsbb.imf.org/images/pdfs/sdds_legal_text_english.PDF |
| Population | Principles and Recommendations for Population and Housing Census (New York: United Nations, 1996). |
Additional useful background documents
Update to the System of National Accounts 1993: New Standards for Financial Derivatives (Washington, D.C.: IMF, 2001). The text can be found on the IMF’s website: http://www.imf.org/external/np/sta/sna/2001/eng/update/updsna.pdf.
Summary of discussions on the National Accounts Discussion Forum can be accessed through the following IMF website: http://www.imf.org/external/np/sta/na/interest/index.htm. The outcome of the discussions may eventually lead to various modifications of the 1993 System of National Accounts (1993 SNA).
Classification of Expenditure According to Purpose (New York: United Nations, 1999) United Nations classifications can be accessed through the UN website: http://esa.un.org/unsd/cr/registry/regrt.asp.
“Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics,” UN Economic and Social Council Report of the Special Session of the Statistical Commission (New York, April 11-15, 1994). Hussmanns, R., Mehran, F., Verma V. Surveys of Economically Active Population, Employment, Unemployment, and Underemployment: An ILO Manual on Concepts and Methods (Geneva: ILO, 1990).
ILO recommendations can be accessed at the ILO website: http://www.ilo.org/ilolex/english/recdisp1.htm
Financial Soundness Indicators: Compilation Guide (Washington, D.C: IMF, 2006). The text can be found on the IMF’s website: http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/fsi/guide/2006/index.htm.
Balance of Payments Compilation Guide (Washington, D.C: IMF, 1995). The text can be found on the IMF’s website: http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/bopcg/1995/bopcg.pdf.
Balance of Payments Textbook (Washington D.C: IMF, 1996). The text can be found on the IMF’s website: http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/boptex/boptex.pdf.
Financial Derivatives: A Supplement to the Balance of Payments Manual, fifth edition, 1993 (Washington, D.C: IMF, 2000). The text can be found on the IMF’s website: http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fd/2000/index.htm.
Coordinated Portfolio Investment Survey Guide, 2nd ed. (Washington, D.C.: IMF, 2002). The text can be found at http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/cpis/2002/index.htm
Handbook on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Systems (New York: United Nations, 1998).
Indicators of Sustainable Development: Framework and Methodologies (New York: United Nations, 1996).