Developing thematic satellite accounts

Abstract

The 2008 System of National Accounts (SNA) provides the international standards for compiling macro-economic statistics. In addition to the core set of accounts, the 2008 SNA also introduces satellite accounts, which are linked to, but distinct from, the central framework of national accounts. One type of satellite accounts involves some rearrangement of central classifications and the possible introduction of complementary elements, to give a more detailed description and monitoring of a certain theme, such as tourism, education, health, the digital economy and transport. They may involve some differences from the standards applied in the central framework, but they generally do not change the underlying concepts of the SNA in a fundamental way. The second type of satellite analysis is mainly based on concepts that are alternatives to those of the SNA. They may include a different production boundary, an enlarged concept of consumption or capital formation, an extension of the scope of assets, and so on. There is a growing demand for satellite accounts, especially for the first type of thematic satellite accounts. This paper aims to clarify the key steps for the compilation of such thematic satellite accounts, using the example of a satellite account for transport.