Overview of the system of national accounts
(chapter 1 of the esa 2010 gni inventory)
Austria
reference year 2011
following the agreed recommendations as laid down
in document GNIC/280 rev. 2 EN - "ESA2010 GNI Inventory Guide".
VERSION MARCH 2016
INVENTORY OF METHODS
FOR
NATIONAL ACCOUNTS
IN AUSTRIA
ACCORDING TO ESA2010
version MaRCH 2016
INVENTORY OF METHODS
for national accounts in Austria
Vienna 2016
Information
Sabine Schmidt-First
Tel.: +43 (1) 711 28-7713
Email:
Editor and producer
STATISTIK AUSTRIA
BundesanstaltStatistikÖsterreich
A-1110 Wien
Guglgasse 13
Person responsible for the contents
Ferdinand Leitner
Tel.: +43 (1) 711 28-7715
Email:
Copyright STATISTICS AUSTRIA
The product and all material contained therein are protected by copyright with all rights reserved by the BundesanstaltStatistikÖsterreich (STATISTICS AUSTRIA). If the contained material is accurately reproduced and the source "STATISTICS AUSTRIA" is quoted it is permitted to reproduce, distribute, make publicly available and process the content. If data content such as tables, graphics or text published by STATISTICS AUSTRIA is partially used, displayed or otherwise changed, a note must be added at an adequate position to show data was extracted or adapted.
© STATISTICS AUSTRIA
Vienna 2016
Introduction
This document deals with the statistical methods and sources used in Austrian national accounts to calculate gross national product and other aggregates in national accounts and meets the requirement to forward details of the methods used to the European Commission (Eurostat) under provisions to harmonise gross national income at market pricesaccording to ESA 2010.
This publication first gives an overview of the national accounts system in Austria (seechapter 1) and explains the revision national accounts policy (seechapter 2). The subsequent chapters then set out the three approaches to calculating GDP (seechapters 3, 4 and 5). The next chapters deal with technical procedures to ensure the quality of the GDP data, i.e. the balancing procedures and validation of estimates (seechapter 6), allowances for exhaustiveness (seechapter 7) and the transitions from gross domestic product to gross national income (seechapter 8). Finally, the main classifications used (seechapter 9) and the main data sources (seechapter 10) are presented.
In addition to setting out the methods for calculating national accounts this report also contains results of the calculation. The reference year for the descriptions is reporting year 2011 and the figures therefore all refer to this year. Most of the methodological and conceptual explanations however apply to all reporting years.
Wherever the results make for more immediate comprehension, they are presented in the body of the text. Summaries of results and additional information on data records on Austria are given in tables. This is intended to make it easy to identify which parts of the study explain the methodology and which parts provide background information and summaries.
The explanations given apply as at February 2016. Subsequent amendments with regard to the basic principles or the calculation methods cannot be ruled out.
Vienna,March2016
Tableofcontent
Table of content
Detailed table of content
Tables
Figures
List of abbreviations
1.Overview of the system of national accounts in Austria
Detailedtableofcontent
Table of content
Detailed table of content
Tables
Figures
List of abbreviations
1.Overview of the system of national accounts in Austria
1.1.Introduction
1.1.1.Geographical coverage
1.2.The revision policy and timetable for revising and finalising the estimates
1.2.1.Revision policy
1.2.2.Timetable for revisions and completion of the final version
1.2.2.1.General timetable
1.3.The production approach
1.3.1.Business register
1.3.2.Main data sources and adaption for ESA 2010 purposes
1.3.2.1.Adjustments for exhaustiveness
1.3.2.2.Transition from private accounting and administrative concepts to ESA 2010 national accounting concepts
1.4.Income approach
1.4.1.Data sources
1.4.2.Calculation methods
1.4.2.1.Gross wages and salaries
1.4.2.2.Actual social contributions
1.4.2.3.Imputed social contributions
1.4.3.Other taxes on production
1.4.4.Other subsidies
1.4.5.Consumption of fixed capital
1.5.Expenditure approach
1.5.1.Final consumption of private households
1.5.2.Final consumption of non-profit institutions serving households
1.5.3.Final consumption expenditure of government
1.5.4.Gross fixed capital formation
1.5.4.1.Construction
1.5.4.2.Equipment
1.5.4.3.Cultivated assets
1.5.4.4.Research and development (R&D)
1.5.4.5.Computer software and databases
1.5.4.6.Entertainment, literary and artistic originals
1.5.4.7.Transfer costs and addition to the value of non-produced non-financial assets
1.5.5.Changes in inventories
1.5.6.Acquisitions less disposals of valuables
1.5.7.Foreign trade
1.5.7.1.Imports and exports of goods
1.5.7.2.Imports and exports of services
1.6.The balancing or integration procedures and main approaches to validation
1.6.1.Classifications and original data
1.6.2.Supply of goods and services
1.6.2.1.Domestic production
1.6.2.2.Imports
1.6.2.3.Taxes and subsidies on products
1.6.3.Use of goods and services
1.6.3.1.Intermediate consumption
1.6.3.2.Final use
1.6.4.Balancing
1.7.Overview of the allowances for exhaustiveness
1.8.Transition from gross domestic product to gross national income (GNI)
1.8.1.Compensation of employees
1.8.1.1.Compensation of employees to the rest of the world
1.8.1.2.Compensation of employees from the rest of the world
1.8.2.Taxes on production and imports paid to the institutions of the European Union and received subsidies
1.8.2.1.Paid taxes on imports and products to the EU
1.8.2.2.Paid taxes on imports at EU external borders
1.8.3.Received subsidies from the rest of the world
1.8.4.Cross-border property income
1.8.4.1.Interest
1.8.4.2.Distributed income of corporations
1.8.4.3.Reinvested earnings (RIE) of foreign direct investment (FDI)
1.8.4.4.Other investment income
1.8.4.5.Rent on land and sub-soil assets
1.9.Main classifications used
1.10.Main data sources used
1.10.1.Statistical surveys and other data sources used for the production approach
1.10.2.Statistical surveys and other data sources used for the income approach
1.10.3.Statistical surveys and other data sources used for the expenditure approach
1.10.4.Statistical surveys and other data sources used for the transition from GDP to GNI
Tables
Table 1.1: Data sources for the income approach
Table 1.2: Calculation method: government final consumption expenditure
Table 1.3: Calculation method for capital formation in construction
Table 1.4: Transaction cost rates for land transfers
Table 1.5: Overview of the allowances for exhaustiveness in the production approach*
Table 1.6: Transition from GDP to GNI in accordance with ESA 2010
Figures
Figure 1.1: Organisational structure Statistics Austria
Figure 1.2: Organisational structure of the Directorate for Macro-Economic Statistics
Listofabbreviations
AK / Chamber of LabourAKM / State-approved company for authors, composers and music publishers
AMA / Austrian Paying Agency for Agriculture and Rural Development
ASFINAG / National motorway operator
BEA / Bureau of Economic Analysis (USA)
BMF / Federal Ministry of Finance
BMLFUW / Federal Ministry for Agriculture, Forestry, the Environment and Water Management
BoP / Balance of Payments
BStatG / Federal Statistics Act
BUAK / Construction workers’ holiday and pension fund
BZ / Non-agricultural business census 1995
CFC / Consumption of Fixed Capital
CIF / Cost Insurance Freight
CN / Combined Nomenclature
COFOG / Classification of the Functions of Governments
COICOP / Classification of Individual Consumption by Purpose for Households
COPNI / Classification of the Purposes of Non-Profit Institutions serving Households
CPA / Classification of Products by Activity in the European Economic Community
CPI / Consumer Price Index
CSDB / Centralised Securities Database
EAA / Economic Accounts for Agriculture
EAF / Economic Accounts for Forestry
EAGF / European Agricultural Guarantee Fund
ECB / European Central Bank
EDP / Excessive Deficit Procedure
EFZG / Continuation of Wage Payments Act
EMU / European Monetary Union
ESA / European System of Accounts
E&M / Estimations and Models
FD / Financial Derivatives
FDI / Foreign Direct Investment
FISIM / Financial Intermediary Services Indirectly Measured
FM / Frascati Manual
FMA / Financial Market supervisory Authority
FOB / Free On Board
GDP / Gross Domestic Product
GFCF / Gross Fixed Capital Formation
GNI / Gross National Income
GVA / Gross Value Added
HBS / Household Budget Survey
HFCE / Household Final Consumption Expenditure
HV / Main Association of Austrian Social Security Organisations
IATA / International Air Transport Association
IC / Intermediate Consumption
IESG / Insolvency Pay Guarantee Act
ILO / International Labour Organisation
IMF / International Monetary Fund
ISCED / International Standard Classification of Education
ISIN / International Securities Identification Number
ITGS / International Trade in Goods Statistics
ITSS / International Trade in Services Statistics
KAU / Kind of Activity Unit
KFA / Specific health care institution
KStG / Corporation Tax Act
LCS / Labour Cost Survey
LFS / Labour Force Survey
MFI / Monetary Financial Institutions
NACE / Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community
NA / National Accounts
n.e.c. / not elsewhere classified
NOE / Non-Exhaustiveness
NPI / Non Profit Institution
NPISH / Non-Profit Institutions Serving Households
NUTS / Nomenclature des Unités Territoriales Statistiques
OECD / Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
OeKB / Austrian National Numbering Agency
OeNB / Austrian National Bank
OI / Other Investment
ORF / Austrian Broadcasting Corporation
ÖBB / Austrian Federal Railways
ÖNACE / Austrian version of NACE
PI / Portfolio Investment
PIM / Perpetual Inventory Method
PKG / Pension Fund Act
PRODCOM / Production Communautaire
R&D / Research & Development
RIE / Reinvested Earnings
SME / Small and Medium (-sized) Enterprises
SBS / Structural Business Statistics
SDR / Special Drawing Right
SHF / State Health Funds
EU-SILC / European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions
SPE / Special Purpose Entity
STAT / Statistics Austria
STS / Short Term Statistics
UBO / Ultimate Beneficial Owner
VAT / Value Added Tax
VIES / Value added tax Information Exchange System
UVA / Turnover Tax Advance Returns
WIFO / Austrian Institute of Economic Research
WKO / Austrian Economic Chamber
1
1.Overview of the system of national accounts in Austria
1.1.Introduction
In Austria, official statistics are largely centralised. The Bundesstatistikgesetz 2000[1] (BStatG – Federal Statistics Act) took the central statistical office out of the Republic of Austria's civil service with effect from 1 January 2000 and set it up as an independent, non-profit-making federal institution under public law - BundesanstaltöffentlichenRechtsStatistikÖsterreich – called Statistics Austria. It is responsible for performing scientific services in the area of federal statistics.
The Bundesstatistikgesetz defines federal statistics as a (non-personal) information system of the government providing data on the economic, demographic, social, ecological and cultural situation in Austria. This information helps administrative bodies in planning and political decision-making procedures and in controlling the measures they have taken. Moreover, data are made available to the scientific and economic community and to the general public. Its remit is to compile all types of statistics, including the associated analyses, forecasts and statistical models, which are not confined to the interests of a single Land (federal state) (§§1 and 2 BStatG). Statistics are either specified in the Bundesstatistikgesetz or required under the terms of international (EU) legal acts, by federal laws and by regulations.
Since the beginning of the seventies, Statistics Austria has assumed increasing responsibility for the production of national accounts. Some projects are handled by other bodies but in close cooperation and coordination with Statistics Austria. The quarterly accounts and the first preliminary annual estimate in February are prepared by the ÖsterreichischesInstitutfürWirtschaftsforschung (WIFO – Austrian Institute of Economic Research) on behalf of Statistics Austria. The regional accounts, which were originally the responsibility of the WIFO (NUTS 2) or the ÖsterreichischesInstitutfürRaumplanung (Austrian Institute for Regional Planning) (NUTS 3), were gradually integrated into Statistics Austria from 1993 onwards in connection with Austria’s accession to the EU and the resulting coordination of national statistical offices at European level. Since 1996, Statistics Austria has therefore published NUTS 2 data and NUTS 3 data since 2001. The OesterreichischeNationalbank (OeNB – Austrian national bank) is responsible for the compilation of the financial accounts for the institutional sectors S.11 (Non-financial corporations), S.12 (Financial corporations), S.14 (Households) and S.15 (Non-profit institutions serving households), whereas the financial accounts for the government sector S.13 are compiled by Statistics Austria.
1
Figure 1.1: Organisational structure Statistics Austria
Figure 1.2: Organisational structure of the Directorate for Macro-Economic Statistics
1
Statistics Austria was reorganised at the beginning of 2001. The eight special statistical departments were regrouped to form four directorates (population, businesses, spatial statistics and macro-economics). Figure 1.1 shows the current organisational structure.
All work in connection with national accounts, except calculations for agriculture and forestry (ÖNACE Section A) and some transactions in foreign trade, is carried out in the Macro-Economics Directorate (see Figure 1.2). Data for agricultural and forestry accounts are compiled by the Spatial Statistics Directorate of Statistics Austria or the UniversitätfürBodenkultur (University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences).
Other projects closely related with annual national accounts are also carried out in the Macro-Economics Directorate: preparation of annual supply and use tables and input-output tables, calculation of non-financial sectoral accounts, comprehensive data on the general government sector and the regional accounts mentioned above.
1.1.1.Geographical coverage
The economic area covered by Austrian national accounts includes:
the territory within Austrian national borders
the tax-free area Jungholz(in the NUTS 3 region "Außerfern")
the tax-free area KleinesWalsertal/Mittelberg(in the NUTS 3 region "Bludenz-Bregenzerwald")
Austrian diplomatic and consular missions abroad.
Extraterritorial areas within the national borders, i.e. foreign diplomatic and consular missions and international organisations, are not included.
1.2.The revision policy and timetable for revising and finalising the estimates
1.2.1.Revision policy
The revision policy of Statistics Austria is, of course, closely geared to the deadlines set by the European Union for the transmission of data and aggregates. The requirements of data transmission are usually determined by European law which specifies tables, variables and deadlines. The comments below thus deal with revisions policy in connection with this timetable.
Annual revisions of current national accounts are based on integrating information from individual surveys with differing frequency which may be used to revise preliminary estimates. These include the annual Structural Business Statistics, the five-yearly household budget survey and the turnover tax statistics. Turnover tax data are calculated annually but final data are not available until three years after a reporting year because of the relevant reporting rules for companies.
Major revisions are carried out only when new concepts and methods are to be implemented or when comprehensive new data sources are available. It is part of Statistics Austria’s policy not to confuse data users with a large number of major revisions but to identify a body of cases which point to a need for major revisions and to use them as a basis for such revisions. The most recent major revision took place in 2014, when all national accounts were compiled according to ESA 2010 for the first time. The revision comprised the years from 1995 to 2013.
1.2.2.Timetable for revisions and completion of the final version
The following section explains the revisions of individual data aggregates based on the actual timetable for their calculation. Publications are geared to the ESA transmission programme.
The transmission programme according to ESA 2010 was adopted as Annex B to Regulation (EU) 549/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 May 2013[2] and governs the details of the Member States’ obligations to supply data by defining tables, variables and deadlines.
The national publication date for the annual national accounts prepared by Statistics Austria is usually the beginning of July every year so that data to be reported subsequently at the end of December on regional accounts and non-financial sector accounts (by the end of September at the latest) can be kept consistent. The quarterly accounts – which are currently prepared by the Austrian InstitutfürWirtschaftsforschung (WIFO – Economic Research Institute) on behalf of Statistics Austria – are subsequently adjusted to the new annual benchmarks.
Times for calculations and revisions are given by means of abbreviations in square brackets [t+...] and [T-...]. T stands for the reporting year and t for the deadline 31.12 of the reporting year. Values after "+" give the number of months after t and thus describe the time lag for producing data. Values after "-" indicate the number of years prior to reporting year t and describe how many years a given reporting year was prior to the current reporting year. Q indicates the reporting quarter.
1.2.2.1.General timetable
In 2005 Statistics Austria has started to publish detailed annual national accounts at the beginning of July each year[3]. At the same time, statistical revisions are carried out covering the three years preceding the published year ([T-1], [T-2], [T-3]). New national accounts data are therefore presented over a period of four years with the year [T-3] always being the final version.
Non-financial sector accounts (non-financial/financial corporations, private households, non-profit institutions serving households (NPISH), general government, rest of the world) are supplied at [t+9] and are consistent with the annual main aggregates published at [t+7].
The quarterly accounts of the main aggregates have a time lag of t+2. Thus, the quarters are reconciled with the annual accounts at the end of August every year, so that the four quarters of the year T are harmonised with the corresponding annual accounts. At the same time as the fourth quarter is published (i.e. end of February), the first annual estimate is produced by aggregating the quarterly accounts prepared by the Austrian InstitutfürWirtschaftsforschung (WIFO) on behalf of Statistics Austria.
Supply and use tables are now produced every year and, hence, integrated into the annual national accounts time series. Meanwhile, provisionally balanced supply and use tables are available for the year T-2. Final supply and use tables (to be transmitted at t+36 according to the ESA 2010 transmission programme) can be implemented for the year T-3. For the time being, they are integrated at current prices only, but the compilation of supply and use tables at constant prices is already under progress.