## Experimental Indicators of Digital Industries in Select Countries: Definitions, Methods, and Results

_IMF Working Papers, September 30, 2022_

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## Bibliographic details
- Authors: Brent Moulton, James Tebrake, Martha Tovar
- Published: September 30, 2022
- Series: IMF Working Papers
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9798400221903.001

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### Scope and objective
- Presents estimates of "digital industries" for five countries that participated in an experimental exercise.
- Applies a simplified standard approach recommended by international agencies as part of the national accounts framework.
- Uses publicly available and limited secondary information.

### Methods (as described)
- Identifies digital products or industries as defined in international classifications.
- Follows a simplified standard approach recommended in the national accounts framework.
- Relies on publicly available and limited secondary data sources.

### Key findings
- The pervasive impact of digitalization on the economy and the lack of an agreed definition make it challenging to obtain estimates of the digital economy.
- The structure and evolution of digital industries vary across countries and over time.
- The estimates depend significantly on the underlying data sources.
- Some countries have estimated the value of the digital economy by identifying digital products or industries within international classifications.

### Policy-relevant conclusions and recommendations
- There is a need to upgrade data sources to better identify the impact of digitalization.
- Improved data would help quantify the economic benefits of digitalization and better inform policy-making.

### Subjects and keywords
- Subject: Digital economy, Digitalization, Economic sectors, Financial crises, National accounts, Technology
- Keywords: Digital economy, digital intermediary platforms, Digitalization, digitally delivered, digitally ordered, e-commerce, Enabling industries, gross value, ISIC Sector, nominal GVA, product classification system, supply and use tables, value of the digital economy

*IMF Working Paper — Experimental Indicators of Digital Industries in Select Countries: Definitions, Methods, and Results (Working Paper No. 2022/197)*

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_Source: https://www.imf.org/en/publications/wp/issues/2022/09/29/experimental-indicators-of-digital-industries-in-select-countries-definitions-methods-and-524035_