Public Sector Debt Statistics

Source details

Course title: Public Sector Debt Statistics (PSDSx)
Session No.: OL 26.203
Location: Course conducted online
Date: May 1, 2026 - April 15, 2027 (50 weeks)
Delivery Method: Online Training
Primary Language: French
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.

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 relevant to PSDS.
Presents principal accounting rules relevant for PSDS compilation, including valuation and consolidation.
Discusses recommended instrument and institutional coverage for compiling comprehensive, internationally comparable PSDS.
Examines recording of contingent liabilities such as government guarantees.
Deals with the impact on PSDS of debt-related issues, including:
- debt assumption
- debt forgiveness
- on-lending
- financial leases
- financial bailouts
Addresses 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 Analyses (DSA), and fiscal risk and vulnerability analyses.

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).