World Economic Outlook Database, April 2017

World Economic Outlook

Source details

The World Economic Outlook (WEO) database is created during the biannual World Economic Outlook exercise and contains selected macroeconomic data series from the statistical appendix of the World Economic Outlook report.
The WEO presents IMF staff's analysis and projections of economic developments at the global level, in major country groups, and for many individual countries.
The WEO is released in April and September/October each year.

Available indicators include national accounts, inflation, unemployment rates, balance of payments, fiscal indicators, trade for countries and country groups (aggregates), and commodity prices as reported by the IMF.
Data are available from 1980 to the present, with projections given for the next two years.
Medium-term projections are available for selected indicators.
For some countries, data are incomplete or unavailable for certain years.
The WEO database is available in SDMX format from the Entire Dataset page; for more information about SDMX, consult SDMX.org.

Nauru was added to the WEO database, expanding coverage to a total of 192 countries.
- Nauru’s data are included in the emerging market and developing economies group composites.
- Nauru is classified as a member of the Emerging and Developing Asia.
Belarus redenominated its currency by replacing 10,000 old Belarusian rubles with 1 new Belarusian ruble.
- Local currency data for Belarus are expressed in the new currency starting with the April 2017 WEO database.

The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) of Japan’s Cabinet Office released the results of the quinquennial benchmark year revision for the Japanese National Accounts, which involved:
- Incorporating large-scale, detailed source statistics, including the compilation of the 2011 Input-Output Tables.
- Updating the reference year from 2005 to 2011.
- Improving several estimation methodologies, including for measuring construction output.
- Updating definitions and classifications, in particular implementing the 2008 System of National Accounts (2008 SNA).
Key quantitative impacts reported for Japan:
- For 2013–15, the level of nominal GDP was revised upward by 5.0–6.3 percent.
- Of that increase, 4.3–4.8 percent was accounted for by the implementation of the 2008 SNA, including capitalization of research and development.
- The increase in GDP for 2015 resulted from both the benchmark year revision and incorporation of more detailed source statistics.
- Real GDP growth rates were revised retrospectively; the mean absolute revision for 1995–2015 was 0.4 percentage point.
- Growth rates for 2013–15 were revised upward by 0.4–0.6 percentage point.
- Revisions of the annual rate of change of the GDP deflator had a mean absolute revision of 0.1 percentage point and do not significantly change the previously published evolution of prices for Japan.

For the latest GDP data for specific countries, consult the "Projected % Change" table in the left column of the individual country pages for:
- Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, United Kingdom, United States.