An overview is provided of the history, logic, merits and limitations of the national accounts. Past In the second half of the seventeenth century the first estimates of national income were made. These estimates served clear purposes, like demonstrating that a revision of the English tax system...

This paper discusses the future of the national accounts in view of four trends: globalisation, regionalisation like the European unification (regional blocks), atuomation and more market-oriented government. Each trend will be discussed starting from recent developments in national accounting....

This paper presents a modified national accounting system tailored to a description of Research and Development (R&D)in the national economy. The main differences with the standard national accounts are some changes in the basic concepts (e.g. own-account production of R&D is considered as...

This paper discusses the implementation of the new universal guidelines (SNA95) on the Dutch national accounts. A distinction is made between changes in basic concepts and classifications, changes in detail and supplementary classifications and changes in scope.

At present, the national accounts in most countries are compiled on the basis of concepts and classifications in international guidelines. In this paper, we trace the roots of these guidelines, compare the subsequent quidelines and discuss also alternative accounting systems like extended...

From a conceptual point of view, for most purposes net figures of Domestic Product and National Income are to be preferred to gross figures. Nevertheless, in practice gross figures are most often used on the ground of various arguments. In this paper, these arguments are challenged. To this end,...

This paper unveils the mystery of national accounts statistics. National accounts statistics are not facts. They are estimates of a universal accounting model (SNA93) for describing, analyzing and managing national economies. The operational versions of the universal model decide what is...

Without national accounts statistics, citizens, politicians, entrepreneurs and economists would be blind for the size, composition and development of national economies. This book provides a unique overview of the merits and limitations of the national accounts. Attention is paid to the three...

The national accounts is commonly known by its key-aggregates (e.g. GDP and saving) and their role in public debate and decision-making. However, the national accounts plays many different roles for many different uses. This paper provides an overview of the development of these roles and uses...