System of National Accounts 2008

The System of National Accounts, 2008 (2008 SNA) is an updated version of the System of National Accounts, 1993 (1993 SNA). It is the fifth version of the SNA, the first of which was published over fifty years ago.

The 2008 SNA was prepared under the auspices of the Inter-Secretariat Working Group on National Accounts (ISWGNA), which consists of five organizations: the Statistical Office of the European Commission (Eurostat), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the United Nations Statistics Division and regional commissions of the United Nations Secretariat and the World Bank. The 2008 SNA is published jointly by these five organizations.

The 2008 SNA is the result of a process that was notable for its transparency and the wide involvement of the international statistical community, both of which were made possible by the innovative use of the project's website 'Towards 2008 SNA' as a communication tool. This website provides detailed information on all aspects of the update process, like project managemenent, list of update issues with corresponding recommendations and country responses, AEG meetings, etc.

The ISWGNA has identified a number of areas of ongoing research. The ISWGNA has recommended these topics should be included in a national accounts research agenda. A list of items for consideration, as identified at the conclusion of the update process, can be found on the 'Towards 2008 SNA' website under the heading 'Research agenda'.