Comparability
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National Accounts, Economic Statistics.Christina Just Brandstrup
+45 39 17 36 33
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The national accounts are prepared in accordance with international guidelines and will therefore be comparable across countries. The current guidelines were implemented in 2014 and are used to revise the national accounts back to 1966. The national accounts reflect all parts of the economy, so most economic statistics contain figures that have their counterparts in the national accounts. However, be careful to compare figures from the national accounts with other economic statistics, as the transition is often complicated by different definitions and requirements for coverage. However, the national accounts are in full compliance with the balance of payments and government finance statistics.
Comparability - geographical
The UN has prepared a manual for the preparation of the national accounts, the System of National Accounts (SNA), which the EU has prepared a European interpretation of (European System of Accounts (ESA)). The current SNA2008 manual is followed by most countries in the world, while the corresponding ESA2010 manual is followed by all European countries. Therefore, national accounts figures are internationally comparable to a high degree.
Comparability over time
The first official Danish national accounts were made during the 1930s and in 1945 the first results covering the period 1930-1944 were published.
After a thorough revision of the national accounts figures, in 1962 comparable national accounts figures for the period 1947-1960 were published. Subsequently, the time series was expanded with the years until 1976.
In 1968, the United Nations published the System of National Accounts, which gave rise to a major revision of the Danish national accounts.
In 1973, national accounts in accordance with SNA1968 for the period starting in 1966 were published.
In 1993, a new SNA was published, which was later accompanied by the ESA1995 manual as a European interpretation.
In 1997, the Danish national accounts went through a major revision and national accounts were published according to SNA1993 / ESA1995 back to 1966.
In 2008 the latest SNA was published and in 2010 the latest ESA manual was published. In 2014, SNA2008 / ESA2010 were implemented in the Danish national accounts figures back to 1966, which ensure that the national accounts are comparable from 1966 to the present.
Coherence - cross domain
There is full consistency between the national accounts and the statistics for the balance of payments as well as general government expenditure and income. National accounts are also connected to a number of other statistics, including accounting statistics, agricultural statistics, consumer survey, etc. However, there may be discrepancies for several reasons:
- Variable definitions may differ
- Differences in the calendar year delimitation, which is always the actual year in the national accounts
- The national accounts must cover all economic activities, including illegal activities
- Errors in the primary statistics found during the preparation and reconciliation of the national accounts are not always corrected in the primary statistics
Coherence - internal
There is by definition full internal consistency in the national accounts. The internal consistency includes both the functional and the institutional national accounts.