Government Finance Statistics (GFS) Research and Related Materials

Government Finance Statistics (GFS)
Research and Related Materials

Last Updated: May 31, 2017

Second Review of the Implementation of Government Finance Statistics Framework to Strengthen Fiscal Analysis. This paper reports on the further developments since 2013 in the implementation of the 2010 Board decision concerning Government Finance Statistics (GFS) to Strengthen Fiscal Analysis, and develops a path to continued improvement of fiscal data in the Fund. The Board decision approved (i) developing a staggered migration strategy, including tailored capacity development inside and outside the Fund taking into consideration country-specific and fiscal surveillance needs; (ii) encouraging staff to continue the effort to routinely assess financial balance sheets during surveillance; (iii) gradually expanding the coverage of fiscal data, taking into consideration country-specific circumstances and fiscal risk assessments; and (iv) reaffirming the support for the phased implementation of the GFS over the medium term.

Template to Collect Data on Government Revenues from Natural Resources. The IMF Statistics Department has launched field tests of the proposed standard template in six pilot countries. Field tests will be conducted over the next two years. The experience and challenges from the pilots will inform the final version of the template which, together with a summary of the lessons from the pilots, will be shared with the IMF’s Executive Board for information and subsequently published. In the meantime, an unofficial interim version of this paper, which incorporates the comments received from the international community, is available upon request from stagodata@imf.org.

The purpose of this paper Review of the Implementation of Government Finance Statistics to Strengthen Fiscal Analysis is to review progress since the 2010 Board decision concerning Government Finance Statistics (GFS) to Strengthen Fiscal Analysis, and develop a path to continued improvement of fiscal data in the Fund. The Board decision approved a phased migration that involved (1) the inclusion in staff reports by May 2011 of key elements of the Government Finance Statistics Manual 2001 (GFSM 2001) presentation, together if needed, with additional presentations that the authorities are familiar with; and (2) a continuation of technical assistance to develop countries’ capacity to produce comprehensive GFSM 2001 presentations.

GFS Research

Disclaimer: These papers should not be reported as representing the views of the IMF. The views expressed in these papers are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of the IMF or IMF policy. These papers describe research in progress by the author(s) and are published to elicit comments and to further debate.

Definitions of Government in IMF Supported Programs – TNM/13/01

Another Look at Government's Balance Sheets: The Role of Nonfinancial Assets - WP/13/95

Stock-Flow Adjustments, Government’s Integrated Balance Sheet and Fiscal Transparency. IMF Working Paper WP/13/63

Recent Improvements to the Government Finance Statistics Yearbook Database in Response to Analytical Needs. IMF Working Paper WP/13/15

What Lies Beneath: Statistical Definitions of Public Debt. IMF Staff Discussion Note (SDN/12/09), (July)

The IMF’s Government Finance Statistics Yearbook—Maps of Government for 74 countries. IMF Working Paper WP/11/127

Measuring Fiscal Decentralization-Exploring the IMF’s Databases, IMF Working Paper WP/11/126

GFSM 2001/2014 Related Materials

GFS Fact Sheet, December 2009
Arabic (1127kb pdf file) / Chinese | English | Français | Español | Русский

GOVERNMENT FINANCE STATISTICS HIGHLIGHTS

Looking Beyond the Central Government – Global Trends in State and Local Government Debt

Classification of the GFSM 1986 Data to the GFSM 2014 Framework, March 2018
Chinese | English | Español | Français | Русский

GFSM 2001 Framework and its Relationship with the European System of Accounts 1995, September 2004 (449kb pdf file)