World Economic Outlook Database April 2000

World Economic Outlook

Source details

Canonical URL: World Economic Outlook Database April 2000

Other formats

Purpose and compilation

The WEO database is created during the biannual World Economic Outlook (WEO) exercise, which begins in January and June and results in the WEO publication released in May and October.
Selected series available in the World Economic Outlook publication are made available on the website at the time of the release of the WEO press version (late April and September).
The WEO exercise is coordinated by the World Economic Studies Division in the Research Department.
Projections and analysis in the World Economic Outlook are an integral element of the IMF's ongoing surveillance of economic development and policies in member countries and of the global economic system.
The survey of prospects and policies is the product of a comprehensive interdepartmental review drawing primarily on information IMF staff gathers through consultations with member countries.
WEO projections are prepared by country desk economists in area departments on the basis of internationally consistent assumptions about world economic activity, exchange rates, and conditions in international financial and commodity markets.
For approximately 50 of the largest economies (Group A countries), which account for 90 percent of world output, projections are updated for each WEO exercise; other countries provide updates during the WEO exercise and at the time of Article IV consultations or in connection with Fund resources.

Data coverage and series available

Annual data from 1970 for world aggregates are provided for:
- Gross domestic product (values at market exchange rates and purchasing power parity [PPP] exchange rates)
- World trade volume of goods and services (annual percent change)
- World exports of goods and services (billions of U.S. dollars)
- World imports of goods and services (billions of U.S. dollars)
Series available (CSV format) include:
- Real Gross Domestic Product (annual percent change)
- All countries CSV
- Advanced economies CSV
- Developing and transition countries CSV
- Regional group aggregates CSV
- Real Gross Domestic Product, Constant Prices (billions of local currency units)
- Gross Domestic Product, Current Prices (billions of local currency units)
- Gross Domestic Product, Current Prices (billions of U.S. dollars)
- Per Capita Gross Domestic Product, Constant Prices (local currency per person)
- Per Capita Gross Domestic Product, Current Prices (local currency per person)
- Per Capita Gross Domestic Product, Current Prices (U.S. dollars per person)
- Inflation (annual percent change)
- Output Gaps (percent of potential GDP)
- Net Capital Flows (billions of US dollars)
- Developing and transition country groups CSV
- WEO group aggregates and World aggregates for selected series

Data definitions, conventions, and limitations

Domestic economy series are expressed in billions of national currency units.
External accounts series are expressed in billions of U.S. dollars.
Indexes are generally based on 1995.
WEO group aggregate data presentation:
- Domestic economy series are in index form; the focus is percentage change.
- External account series are in billions of U.S. dollars.
Real GDP (constant prices) is expressed in billions of national currency units; the base year is country-specific; the last available year matches the WEO publication statistical tables.
GDP in current prices is expressed in billions of national currency units; last available year is consistent with the WEO publication statistical tables.
GDP in U.S. dollars is derived from GDP in national currency and exchange rate projections for developing and transition countries; exchange rates for advanced economies are set as part of WEO assumptions.
Per capita GDP metrics are derived by dividing GDP (constant or current) by total population; last available year matches the WEO statistical tables.
Shares of aggregate GDP based on PPP valuation are expressed as percent of the world total and form the basis for country weights used to generate WEO country group composites; the IMF is not a primary source for PPP data and WEO weights are created from primary sources.
Data for inflation are annual percentage change averages for the year, not end-of-period data.
Output gaps are calculated as actual GDP less potential GDP as a percent of potential GDP; estimates are subject to a significant margin of uncertainty.
Net private capital flows comprise net direct investment, net portfolio investment, and other long- and short-term net investment flows including official and private borrowing.
The series in the Net Capital Flows data file are organized as:
- Net Private capital flows, net
- Net direct investment, net
- Net portfolio investment, net
- Other net investment
- Net official flows
- Change in reserves
- Memorandum: Current account
Change in reserves: a minus sign indicates an increase.
The difference between the current account and the sum of net private capital flows, net official flows, and change in reserves is the capital account and errors and omissions.
Notes on group coverage:
- "Asia" includes Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan Province of China; data for Hong Kong SAR are not available.
- "Crisis countries" includes Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand.
- "Middle East and Europe" includes Israel.
- "Total Emerging Markets" includes developing countries, countries in transition, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan Province of China, and Israel.
For developing countries, figures for recent years are IMF staff estimates.
For countries in transition, some data refer to real net material product (NMP) or are estimates based on NMP; figures for recent years are often IMF staff estimates and should be interpreted only as indicative of broad orders of magnitude.
Data through 1991 apply to west Germany only.

Differences from International Financial Statistics

WEO data are provided to the Research Department at the time of the WEO exercise rather than on a continual basis and are based on information gathered by country desk economists during missions and analysis; projections are staff estimates.
International Financial Statistics data are gathered as part of an ongoing data collection effort submitted by member country statistical agencies; differences in collection techniques, methodology, focus, and timing can lead to differing estimates between IFS and WEO.

Access, format, and use of files

Data tables are provided in Comma Delimited, CSV text file format and are best used within spreadsheet or database applications that handle columnar data.
Null field values are represented by the phrase "n.a." and may need replacement with a blank field prior to import.
To view or save CSV files, users should open the CSV link or use typical browser "Open in New Window" or "Save Target As" commands and save as a CSV Text Document.
Key file import options provided include:
- Data Type: Comma Delimited
- File Origin: Windows ANSI
- Text Qualifier: {"}
- Field Delimiter: {,}
- First Row: Field Names
Customized requests for WEO data will no longer be filled.
Queries about the WEO database should be sent to the e-mail address weo@imf.org.

World Economic Outlook Database April 2000

Source details

Other formats

Purpose and compilation

Data coverage and series available

Data definitions, conventions, and limitations

Differences from International Financial Statistics

Access, format, and use of files

Content in this bundle

References