BEA current and historical data: national, international, and regional data

Survey of Current Business, Dec, 2004

(1.) See I. Steven Landefeld, Brent R. Moulton, and Cindy M. Vojtech, "Chained-Dollar Indexes: Issues, Tips on Their Use, and Upcoming Changes," SURVEY OF CURRENT BUSINESS (November 2003): 8 16.

Appendix B

Suggested Reading

The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) has published a wealth of information about the methodologies that are used to prepare its national, industry, international, and regional accounts. In addition, most of this information is available on BEA's Web site at <www.bea.gov>. Look under "Methodologies"; for articles from the SURVEY OF CURRENT BUSINESS, look under "Publications."

National accounts

The national accounts encompass the detailed estimates in the national income and product accounts (including gross domestic product) and the estimates of wealth and related estimates.

National income and product accounts (NIPAs). This series of papers documents the conceptual framework of the NIPAs and the methodologies that have been used to prepare the estimates.

An Introduction to National Economic Accounting (1985) [also in the March 1985 SURVEY]

Corporate Profits: Profits Before Tax, Profits Tax Liability, and Dividends (2002)

Government Transactions (1988)

Personal Consumption Expenditures (1990)

The methodologies described in these papers have been updated and improved, typically as part of the comprehensive and annual revisions of the NIPAs. The following SuRwY articles describe the most recent comprehensive revision of the NIPAs.

"Improved Estimates of the National Income and Product Accounts for 1929-2002: Results of the Comprehensive Revision" (February 2004)

"Preview of the Revised NIPA Estimates for 1997 Effects of Incorporating the 1997 Benchmark I-O Accounts and Proposed Definitional and Statistical Changes" (January 2003)

"Preview of the 2003 Comprehensive Revision of the National Income and Product Accounts"

Changes in Definitions and Classifications (June 2003)

New and Redesigned Tables (August 2003)

Statistical Changes (September 2003) In addition, see the following articles.

"Updated Summary NIPA Methodologies" (November 2004) describes the source data and the methods that are used to prepare the current-dollar and real estimates of GDP.

"Annual Revision of the National Income and Product Accounts" (August 2004).

"Chained-Dollar Indexes: Issues, Tips on Their Use, and Upcoming Changes" (November 2003) discusses the advantages of using chain-weighted indexes and the challenges of using chained dollars.

"Measuring the Services of Commercial Banks in the NIPAs: Changes in Concepts and Methods" (September 2003)

"Measuring the Services of Property-Casualty Insurance in the NIPAs: Changes in Concepts and Methods" (October 2003)

"Reliability of GDP and Related NIPA Estimates" (January 2002) evaluates the principal NIPA estimates by examining the record of revisions to them.

Fixed assets and consumer durable goods. Fixed Assets and Consumer Durable Goods in the United States, 1925-97 (2003) discusses the concepts and statistical considerations that underlie the estimates and their derivation.