National Accounts of Norway : System and Methods of Estimation

Abstract

This publication presents a description of how the system of national accounts in Norway is constructed and how the actual compilation of national accounts estimates is carried out. An important aim has been to provide background information on sources and methods of estimation such that the users of national accounts data better can assess the quality of the national accounts. The Central Bureau of Statistics has over the last 10 years carried out a complete revision of the Norwegian national accounts in accordance with the recommendations made by the United Nations in the publication "A System of National Accounts" which was issued in 1968. The first revised figures according to the new system were published in March 1973. Work on extending revised time series and coverage has continued since then. More work still remains for the current compilation to comprise the complete system of national accounts. The Central Bureau of Statistics nonetheless finds it is due time to issue a comprehensive publication on national accounts methodology, with relevant information on the revised system and the established practices. The present publication consists of six chapters. First, in the introductory chapter a brief history of significant national accounting work carried out in Norway is presented. In the three subsequent chapters the new system of national accounts is described: concepts and definitions, the accounting system and, finally, the main classifications included in the national accounts. The last two chapters describe the practical implementation of the new system, with a description of the sources and methods used and a brief summary of the computer routines used in the preparation of the accounts. A more comprehensive version of this publication is available in Norwegian, issued as No. 45 in the series Social Economic Studies, Nasjonalregnskapet i Norge - System og beregningsmetoder. That publication also contains appendices with a summary of the most important accounts and classifications. More detailed technical information on the computations is available in Norwegian only. A publication issued as No. 1 in the series "Standards for Norwegian Statistics" contains the accounting system in both Norwegian and English.