Statistical annex

OECD Economic Outlook, Dec, 2003

This annex contains data on some main economic series which are intended to provide a background to the recent economic developments in the OECD area described in the main body of this report. Data for 2003 to 2005 are OECD estimates and projections. The data on some of the tables have been adjusted to internationally agreed concepts and definitions in order to make them more comparable as between countries, as well as consistent with historical data shown in other OECD publications. Regional totals and sub totals are based on those countries in the table for which data are shown. Aggregate measures contained in the Annex, except the series for the euro area (see below), are computed on the basis of 1995 GDP weights expressed in 1995 purchasing power parities (see following page for weights). Aggregate measures for external trade and payments statistics, on the other hand, are based on current year exchange for values and base year exchange rates for volumes.

The OECD projection methods and underlying statistical concepts and sources are described in detail in documentation that can be downloaded from the OECD Internet site:

--OECD Economic Outlook Sources and Methods (www.oecd.org/eco/sources-and-methods).

--OECD Economic Outlook Database Inventory (www.oecd.org/eco/DatabaseInventory).

--The construction of macroeconomic series of the euro area (www.oecd.org/eco/eurodata).

NOTE ON QUARTERLY PROJECTIONS AND THE STATISTICAL TREATMENT OF GERMANY, THE CZECH REPUBLIC, HUNGARY, POLAND, THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC AND THE EURO AREA AGGREGATE

--OECD is now making quarterly projections for selected key variables. For France and Germany expenditure components of GDP are reported with a working-day-adjustment for annual data. For all countries the quarterly seasonally adjusted national accounts data reported below are set to sum to the equivalent annual figures. For more details see the Economic Outlook Database Inventory.

--Data up to end 1990 are for western Germany only; unless otherwise indicated, they are for the whole of Germany from 1991 onwards. In tables showing percentage changes from the previous year, data refer to the whole of Germany from 1992 onwards. When data are available for western Germany only, a special mention is made in a footnote to the table.

--For the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and the Slovak Republic data are available from 1993 onwards. In tables showing percentage changes from the previous year, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and the Slovak Republic are included from 1994 onwards.

--Greece has entered the euro area on 1 January 2001. In order to ensure comparability of the euro area data over time, Greeace has been included in the calculation of the euro area throughout.