Developing and transition economies are prone to financial crises, including balance of payments and banking crises. These crises affect poverty and the distribution of income through a variety of channels: slowdowns in economic activity, relative price changes, and fiscal retrenchment, among...

This paper develops a simple model for measuring potential output that uses data on inflation, unemployment, and capacity utilization. We apply the model to 10 countries, in addition to the United States and the euro area. While there is a substantial amount of uncertainty around our estimates,...

This report focuses on the Monetary Statistics Component of the Regional Data Module Report on the Observance of Standards and Codes for the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB). The report reveals that with respect to the prerequisites of quality and assurances of integrity, the legislation...

The quality of the macroeconomic statistics for Malta has improved significantly in recent years, particularly as a result of the legal and institutional restructuring of the National Statistics Office (NSO). These changes were made in an effort to respond more effectively to the needs of users...

Niger’s overall macroeconomic statistics is a picture of contrasts. Establishing the National Statistical Institute (INS) and giving it a clear and precise mandate is a step in the right direction. Accuracy and reliability suffer from the weakness of data sources, notably in national...

Mexican macroeconomic statistics are in a period of transition as recent laws have strengthened the legal backing and have changed institutional arrangements. Mexico is in observance of the Special Data Dissemination Standard, meeting the specifications for data coverage, periodicity and...

This Report on the Observance of Standards and Codes (ROSC) data module provides an assessment of the Republic of Belarus’s macroeconomic statistics against the recommendations of the Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS) complemented by an assessment of data quality based on the...

The guide, prepared by eight international finance organizations participating in the Inter-Agency Task Force on Finance Statistics, updates the previous international guidelines on external debt statistics, "External Debt: Definition, Statistical Coverage and Methodology," published in 1988....

This update to the Report on the Observance of Standards and Codes (ROSC)—Data Module on Greece highlights general recommendations, consumer price index, government finance statistics, and balance-of-payment statistics. The National Statistical Service of Greece (NSSG) has been working...

The Report on the Observance of Standards and Codes (ROSC) Data Module provides a review of Greece’s data dissemination practices against the IMF’s Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS), complemented by the in-depth assessment of the quality of Greece’s national...