Standard national accounting concepts, economic theory and data compilation issues; on constancy and change in the UN-Manuals on national accounting (1947, 1953, 1968, 1993)

Bos, Frits (1993): Standard national accounting concepts, economic theory and data compilation issues; on constancy and change in the UN-Manuals on national accounting (1947, 1953, 1968, 1993). Published in: National Accounts Occasional Paper , Vol. NA-61, (1993)

Abstract

In this paper, the four successive guidelines of the United Nations on national accounting are discussed in view of economic theory (Keynesian analysis, welfare, Hicksian income, input-output analysis, etc.) and data compilation issues (e.g. the link with concepts in administrative data sources). The new guidelines of the EC should complement those of the UN and be simpler and more cost-efficient. It should define a balanced set of operational concepts and tables that is attainable for most EC countries within 5 years.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Additional Information: In 1947, for the first time a report on national accounting concepts was published by the UN (the 1947 UN-report). Some years later (in 1951), the first official guidelines were published. Since then, national accounting theory and practice have increasingly been dominated by these guidelines. The period since the Second World War can thus best be labelled as 'the era of the international guidelines'. International guidelines have been influential for several reasons. Firstly, the leading international experts of the profession have developed the systems in the international guidelines. They are therefore relatively well thought out and it is costly, time consuming and not easy to invent an alternative system. Secondly, by keeping in line with the international guidelines, national figures can be compared with figures from other countries. This is important, as international comparison is a major use of national accounting figures. Thirdly, in many countries, the national accounts have been set up by or improved with help from the international organisations issuing the guidelines (UN, OECD, EU) or with help from countries advanced in national accounting (Sweden, France). In the latter case, following the international guidelines is usually stimulated to the extent that the helping countries follow them. As a final reason, we mention that all countries are obliged to compile some figures on the basis of the international concepts, as the contribution to the UN depends on the level of National Income. Besides, the questionnaires of the international organisations employ these concepts. In the EU, due to some important administrative uses, the guidelines are even legally binding; the same applies to the statistical programme linked to these guidelines. The international guidelines are very successful in standardising the concepts and classifications used in compiling national accounts figures. The guidelines achieved that all over the world official figures came to be based on uniform notions of the production boundary, asset boundary, the distinction between intermediate and final consumption, etc. From 1947, countries have adapted their concepts in order to be (more) in line with the international guidelines
• Institution: Statistics Netherlands
• Language: English
• Keywords: Guidelines on national accounting; System of National Accounts (SNA); national accounting and economic theory; national accounting and data compilation issues
• Subjects: B - History of Economic Thought, Methodology, and Heterodox Approaches > B4 - Economic Methodology > B40 - General; C - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods > C8 - Data Collection and Data Estimation Methodology; Computer Programs > C82 - Methodology for Collecting, Estimating, and Organizing Macroeconomic Data; E - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics > E0 - General > E01 - Measurement and Data on National Income and Product Accounts and Wealth