National Accounts Compilation and Analysis

Course Description

Welcome to the "National Accounts Compilation and Analysis" course, an intermediate-level program offered by IMFx. This comprehensive course is designed to equip you with the essential skills and knowledge needed to compile and analyze national accounts statistics using the System of National Accounts (SNA) framework. Presented by the International Monetary Fund's Statistics Department, this course offers a deep dive into the world of macroeconomic indicators and national accounting principles.

What You Will Learn

In this course, you will gain a thorough understanding of the SNA framework, including the sequence of accounts, accounting rules, and key macroeconomic indicators. You'll master the art of compiling timely and high-quality national accounts statistics, with a particular focus on Gross Domestic Product (GDP) - the cornerstone of economic measurement. By the end of the course, you'll be proficient in calculating GDP using three different approaches: production, income, and expenditure. Additionally, you'll learn how to estimate volume measures of GDP and use the SNA to track an economy's production, consumption, and income.

Course Content

• Introduction to the System of National Accounts (SNA) framework
• Sequence of national accounts and their interrelationships
• Key macroeconomic indicators and their significance
• National accounts concepts, accounting rules, and methods
• GDP compilation using the production approach
• GDP compilation using the expenditure approach
• GDP compilation using the income approach
• Volume estimates of GDP from production and expenditure perspectives
• Tracking an economy's production, consumption, and income using the SNA

Who Should Take This Course

• Economic analysts and researchers
• Government statisticians
• Financial professionals
• Policy makers
• Students pursuing advanced degrees in economics or related fields
• Anyone interested in understanding how national economies are measured and analyzed

Real-World Applications

The skills acquired in this course have numerous real-world applications. Graduates will be able to:

• Contribute to the compilation of national statistics in government agencies
• Analyze economic trends and make informed policy recommendations
• Assess the economic performance of countries for investment purposes
• Conduct comparative studies of different economies
• Provide valuable insights for businesses making expansion or investment decisions
• Contribute to academic research in economics and related fields