Public Sector Debt Statistics
Source details
- Canonical URL
- Public Sector Debt Statistics
Other formats
Bibliographic details
- Published: July 24, 2025
Upcoming offerings
| Start date | End date | Location | Delivery Method | Session No. | Primary & (Interpretation) language | Apply |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1, 2026 | April 15, 2027 | Course conducted online | [[Online Training](https://www.imf.org/en/capacity-development/training/icdtc/delivery-methods)](https://www.imf.org/en/capacity-development/training/icdtc/delivery-methods) | OL 26.201 | English | [[Apply online](https://www-ins.imf.org/TAS/signon.aspx?pkey=OL26.202S)](https://www-ins.imf.org/TAS/signon.aspx?pkey=OL26.201E) by April 1, 2027 |
| May 1, 2026 | April 15, 2027 | Course conducted online | [[Online Training](https://www.imf.org/en/capacity-development/training/icdtc/delivery-methods)](https://www.imf.org/en/capacity-development/training/icdtc/delivery-methods) | OL 26.202 | Spanish | [[Apply online](https://www-ins.imf.org/TAS/signon.aspx?pkey=OL26.202S)](https://www-ins.imf.org/TAS/signon.aspx?pkey=OL26.201E) by April 1, 2027 |
| May 1, 2026 | April 15, 2027 | Course conducted online | [[Online Training](https://www.imf.org/en/capacity-development/training/icdtc/delivery-methods)](https://www.imf.org/en/capacity-development/training/icdtc/delivery-methods) | OL 26.203 | French | [[Apply online](https://www-ins.imf.org/TAS/signon.aspx?pkey=OL26.202S)](https://www-ins.imf.org/TAS/signon.aspx?pkey=OL26.201E) by April 1, 2027 |
Overview and scope
- The course covers the fundamentals needed to compile and disseminate comprehensive public sector debt statistics (PSDS) that are useful for policy- and decision-makers, as well as other users.
- Introduces the conceptual statistical framework for PSDS as presented in the Public Sector Debt Statistics: Guide for Compilers and Users 2011 (PSDSG 2011), in the context of the government finance statistics (GFS) framework, which is harmonized with other macroeconomic statistical frameworks.
- Covers basic concepts, definitions, and classifications, along with the principal accounting rules (including valuation and consolidation) relevant for PSDS compilation.
- Discusses recommended instrument and institutional coverage for compiling comprehensive, internationally comparable PSDS, and how to record contingent liabilities such as government guarantees.
- Addresses the impact on PSDS of debt-related issues including debt assumption, debt forgiveness, on-lending, financial leases, and financial bailouts.
- Covers important PSDS compilation considerations, including what PSDS to compile and disseminate, and the IMF's guidelines and standards on disseminating PSDS.
- Presents possible uses of PSDS, including Debt Sustainability Analysis (DSA), and fiscal risk and vulnerability analyses.
Target audience and qualifications
- Target Audience:
- Officials whose main responsibility is compiling and disseminating public sector debt statistics.
- Qualifications:
- Participants are expected to have a degree in economics, public financial management, statistics, or equivalent experience.
Course objectives
Upon completion of the course, participants should be able to:
- Explain the essence of the GFS framework and how it relates to public sector debt statistics.
- Apply the main macroeconomic principles to determine what is considered to be debt in the accounts of the debtor.
- Apply the main macroeconomic principles to determine who is the debtor, classify the debtor appropriately inside or outside the public sector, and identify the types of counterparties to the debt instruments.
- Use the principal macroeconomic accounting rules to compile public sector debt statistics.
- Compile a comprehensive and internationally comparable public sector debt statistics report, with supplementary tables, that is suitable for fiscal policymaking and analyses.
- Explain the importance of comprehensive, consistent, and comparable public sector debt statistics in various facets of fiscal policymaking, including Debt Sustainability Analysis (DSA).
Delivery format and materials
- Upcoming Offering:
- Videos
- PSDSx Promotional Video:
- The course, presented by the Statistics Department, covers the fundamentals needed to compile and disseminate comprehensive public sector debt statistics (PSDS) that are useful for policy- and decision-makers.
- Speaker: Tobias Wickens