Quarterly Update on the Special Data Dissemination Standard

First Quarter 2011

May 31, 2011

Observance Status

As of the end of the first quarter of 2011, all 68 SDDS subscribers were in observance of the SDDS requirements for the coverage, periodicity, and timeliness of the data and for the dissemination of advance release calendars (ARCs) (Table 1). The IMF's Dissemination Standards Bulletin Board (DSBB) disseminates a complete list of SDDS subscribers.

Table 1. SDDS Indicators
Indicators As of
March 31, 2010
As of
December 31, 2010
As of
March 31, 2011
Number of subscribers 67 68 68
Number of countries officially in observance1 67 68 68
1Observance of the requirements of the SDDS with respect to the coverage, periodicity, and timeliness of the data and the use of ARCs. Other elements of the SDDS dealing with the integrity and quality of the data are on a self-disclosure basis, with subscribers providing information on which users can make their own judgments. A subscriber experiencing difficulties in meeting SDDS requirements is not automatically in 'nonobservance' of the SDDS. When deviations from SDDS requirements occur, the IMF staff tries to resolve the issue with the subscriber, and then, if necessary, through the Executive Director. If these efforts fail, the matter is brought to the attention of the subscriber's Governor for the Fund. A subscriber is officially declared in 'nonobservance' only when a note to that effect is posted on the DSBB.

Monitoring Punctuality of Data Releases

The IMF monitors the punctuality of data releases of each SDDS subscriber. Punctuality is monitored by comparing the first appearance of new information on the subscriber's National Summary Data Page (NSDP) against the last release date announced in the subscriber's ARC for each of the SDDS data categories. The ARC release dates should meet the SDDS timeliness requirements for the various data categories. Table 2 contains monitoring results for the first quarter of 2011, showing comparisons with results for the fourth quarter of 2010, and those for the first quarter of 2010. Year on year, the punctuality of data releases for the first quarter of 2011 increased for quarterly data (except for external debt), and for annual data, but decreased for monthly data (except for production index, consumer prices, and reserves template). Quarter on quarter, the punctuality of data releases for the first quarter of 2011 increased for quarterly data (except for balance of payments), but decreased for monthly data (except for consumer prices and reserves template), as well as for annual data (except for international investment position).

Compared with historical averages since the third quarter of 2000, when monitoring was introduced, the punctuality of data releases for the first quarter of 2011 increased for quarterly data (except for national accounts, central government debt and external debt), and for annual data (except for general government operations), but decreased for monthly data (except for production index, consumer prices, and reserves template).

Table 2. Monitoring Punctuality of Data Releases
Quarter 3 2000 – Quarter 1 20111
Data Categories Historical Average since Q3/00 (standard deviation) Q1/10 Revised Q4/10 Revised Q1/11
Monthly data 89.9
(3.8)
88.9 91.0 88.2
Production index 91.1
(4.4)
88.6 94.2 93.5
Consumer prices 94.0
(3.7)
93.9 93.6 94.4
Producer prices 92.0
(3.6)
91.2 91.4 90.9
Central government operations 80.8
(4.9)
79.7 81.4 78.5
Analytical accounts of banking sector 89.7
(4.1)
93.3 93.0 88.5
Analytical accounts of central bank 89.8
(5.2)
86.3 94.6 85.1
Official reserves 89.5
(3.7)
86.6 90.6 82.2
Reserves template 90.9
(4.4)
87.9 90.2 91.6
Merchandise trade 91.1
(4.5)
92.9 89.7 88.7
Quarterly data 89.9
(4.9)
88.6 89.5 90.9
National accounts 89.9
(7)
85.5 89.7 89.9
Employment 91.4
(4.8)
89.9 88.6 95.5
Unemployment 92.0
(4.3)
90.2 90.0 93.5
Wages and earnings 89.8
(5.5)
88.1 90.2 92.0
Central government debt 84.2
(6.1)
82.1 83.6 83.8
Balance of payments 92.2
(5.2)
92.6 96.9 93.8
External debt 89.7
(4.8)
91.9 87.7 87.8
Annual data 83.5
(3.7)
77.9 83.9 83.8
General government operations 79.1
(6.4)
70.0 79.4 76.3
International investment position 87.1
(5.2)
77.9 88.4 91.3
1Percentage of data categories subscribers disseminated on their NSDP in accordance with SDDS timeliness requirements (quarterly averages).