Sources and Data

Statistical agencies provide national accounts, prices, labor-market measures, population data, production and trade records. Use the release that supports the stated period and definition; a database series may be revised after the analysis was prepared.

For the United States, principal sources include the Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics and Census Bureau. Country pages identify the corresponding national sources. Statistical publication is distinct from the policy interpretation placed on it.

Central banks publish decisions, analytical reports, financial accounts and statistics on credit, balance sheets and external positions. The policy rate alone may not describe the financial conditions relevant to a borrower. Maturity, repricing, currency and the availability of credit affect transmission.

Sources include the Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, Bank of England, Bank of Japan and the Bank for International Settlements. Their mandates and statistical coverage differ.

Budgets describe planned or authorized allocations; execution accounts record transactions under their accounting basis. Debt reports identify the relevant liabilities and institutional boundary. Independent fiscal institutions assess projections and risks within their remit.

For U.S. work, the Congressional Budget Office, Treasury Fiscal Data, Congress.gov and Federal Register provide distinct parts of the record. A secondary summary is not used to substitute for the operative provision where legal scope is material.

The International Monetary Fund, World Bank, OECD, World Trade Organization, International Labour Organization and Eurostat support comparative work.

Harmonized classifications can improve comparability but do not eliminate every national difference. Read the dataset metadata, country notes, estimates and breaks. A model-based estimate, a survey observation and an administrative count are not interchangeable.

The information cutoff is the last date of material considered for a publication. It is separate from the observation period and from the source publication date. A study can use annual structural data alongside a more recent policy document when each is identified.

Subsequent releases can change the statistical account without making the earlier vintage an inaccurate report of what was available at the time. Analysis distinguishes a revision to the source from an error in its own calculation or interpretation.

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