National Accounts Statistics: Compilation and Analysis

Understanding a nation's economic health requires a standardized framework for measuring production, consumption, and accumulation. This course provides a clear, step-by-step guide to the fundamental principles of national accounts statistics. You will transition from having a basic understanding of economics to confidently interpreting and compiling national accounts data. You'll learn how key indicators like GDP, gross national income, and saving rates are calculated and used in policy-making. What you'll learn: Understand the core concepts and terminology of the System of National Accounts (SNA); Measure economic activity using the production, expenditure, and income approaches; Track transactions between different institutional sectors, including households, corporations, and government; Account for modern economic realities, including digital economy transactions and environmental-economic linkages; Analyze balance sheets, accumulation accounts, and price and volume measures; Apply international standards to compile and disseminate consistent macroeconomic data. The course begins with foundational definitions and accounting identities before guiding you through the sequence of accounts, data sources, and compilation techniques. This text-only course is designed for beginners, junior economists, policy analysts, and statistics students. No prior experience in national accounting is required. Start reading today to master the building blocks of macroeconomic statistics.