Second annual quality report on the euro area balance of payments and international investment position statistics

The European Central Bank (ECB) is today publishing a report entitled “The euro area balance of payments and international investment position statistics – Annual quality report”, the second of its kind. Qualitative assessments and quantitative indicators for some quality dimensions may help users in the analysis of the statistics under review.

The quality of these euro area statistics is assessed on the basis of methodological soundness, timeliness, revisions practice and studies, and consistency. The report includes quantitative indicators developed by a joint ECB (Directorate General Statistics)/European Commission (Eurostat) Task Force on Quality, and contains additional information on confidentiality and the quality validation procedures at the ECB. The main conclusions of the report are that euro area balance of payments and international investment position statistics are generally compiled in accordance with worldwide standards and that the quantitative indicators for revisions and consistency indicate a progressive improvement of these quality aspects as from 1999.

The report can be accessed and downloaded from the ECB's website under http://www.ecb.europa.eu. Hard copies can also be obtained by writing to the ECB’s Press and Information Division at the address below.