A) After you log in, the primary way to begin accessing
data with the browser is to traverse the directory tree in the far
left-hand box on the browser tab, much like one would traverse a file
directory to locate a file. When an entry in the directory is preceded
by a cylinder icon, this signifies a grouping of time series from
which selections can be made: selecting such an item will cause one
or more selection boxes to appear on the right.
For the BOP application...
The first three items below the root level of the directory tree
are
- BOPS Country Data – Month, Year
- Balance of Payments World and Regional Data
- IIP Country Data – Month, Year
The next level (Country Tables, World Tables) of these three items
provide access to the data via presentation tables similar to the
country tables and world and regional tables found in the
Balance
of Payments Yearbook (BOPSY) print publication. You can retrieve
any of these tables in their entirety (using the Retrieve Table button),
or you can retrieve selected individual series from any of these tables
(by selecting the series and using the Add and Retrieve buttons).
For each item in the level below the root of the directory tree, the
Economic Concept View provides a means of selecting one or more concepts
across one or more selected countries.
For the DOT application...
The first item below the root level of the directory tree is the
Economic Concept View. This provides a means of selecting one or
more concepts (Exports; Imports, c.i.f; and Imports, f.o.b.) across
one or more selected countries. The second and third items (the
Country Tables and World and Area Tables views) provide access to
the data via presentation tables similar to the country tables and
world and area tables found in the Direction of Trade Statistics
Yearbook (DOTSY) and Direction of Trade Quarterly (DOTQ)
print publications. You can retrieve any of these tables in their
entirety (using the Retrieve Table Button), or you can retrieve
selected individual series from any table (by selecting the series
and using the Add and Retrieve Buttons). The next item is the Cross-Country
Matrix View. You have the capability of building a matrix of reporter
and partner countries for a single date and concept.
For the GFS application...
The Economic Concept View provides a means for you to select one
or more concepts across one or more selected countries. Using the
Country Table View by Classification or the Country Table View by
Sub-Sector, you can retrieve any series in their entirety (using
the Retrieve Table button), or you can retrieve selected individual
series from any table (by selecting the series and using the Add
and Retrieve buttons). The Matrix View is also available to retrieve
data by concept and government sector.
For the IFS application...
The first three items in the top level of the directory tree (Country
Tables, World Tables, and Commodity Prices) provide access to the
data via presentation tables similar to the Country Tables or World
and Area Tables found in the International Financial Statistics
(IFS) print publication. You can retrieve any of these tables
in their entirety (using the Retrieve Table Button), or you can
retrieve selected individual series from any table (by selecting
the series and using the Add and Retrieve Buttons). The fourth top-level
entry in the directory tree (Economic Concept View) provides a means
for you to select one or more concepts across one or more selected
countries.
The Search Tab provides an alternate means of accessing the database,
using the structure of the time series codes or names.
Support
Q) Whom do I contact for support?
A)
For subscription rates and inquiries regarding your subscription,
you may contact:
Publication Services
International Monetary Fund
Washington, D.C. 20431 U.S.A.
Telephone
+1 202
-623-7430
Facsimile +1 202
-623-7201
E-mail
publications@imf.org
For technical clarification and inquiries relating to the data,
you may contact:
Statistics Department
International Monetary Fund
Washington, D.C. 20431 U.S.A.
Facsimile
+1 202
-623-6460
E-mail
statisticsquery@imf.orgHelp
Q) What Browser help files are available?
A) Help files are available for each Browser when
you click the Question Mark icon in the upper, right corner of the
Browser. You can also access a help file for each of
IFS,
DOT,
GFS,
and
BOP
by clicking the links on the database names in this sentence.
Tutorials
Q) What do the tutorials cover and how do I
use them?
A) To access the tutorials, you can either a)
use the second-level menu that will appear under the IMF Statistical
Databases menu bar when you hover your mouse cursor over the word
Tutorials or b) use the links below. In both cases, the tutorial
you choose will open in a separate browser window.
The tutorials are recorded in Shockwave Flash format. If you
do not have a Flash player installed, your Web browser should
prompt you to install the player. For information, see http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/.
The tutorials cover basic Browser functions:
A Browser Introduction tutorial is available for each of IFS,
DOT, and BOP. The rest of the functions are generic (the same
for each database); thus a single tutorial is available for each
function that is independent of particular databases.
Statistical Data Browser
Q) What output formats are supported?
A) You can view or download the retrieved time
series data in the following formats:
- Comma Separated Value file
- Microsoft Excel file (Excel 2000/XP)
- HTML file
- Tab delimited file
After you select and retrieve series, the interface will ask you
to select one or more of these output formats by ticking boxes next
to the formats that interest you. You will then be given a page
of links to the generated data files. Click on a link to view the
file in the Web browser or a desktop application or download it
to your computer. The action depends on your Web-browser settings.
Q) Can I export an entire database?
A) No. The online applications do not allow you
to export (download) an entire database. If you wish to work with
an entire database, you may wish to acquire an IFS, DOT, BOP or
GFS CD-ROM.
Q) What is the limit on the number of time series
I can retrieve at a time?
A) In principle, no limit exists on the number
of series you can retrieve. In practice, if you wish to retrieve
a large number of series, you will find it more convenient to acquire
the IFS, DOT, BOP or GFS CD-ROM.
Q) How do I save a series selection for reuse?
A) After you select series for retrieval, you
will reach an Output Format selection screen. Use the "Save currently
selected series for later file generation" option. You will then
be able to select additional series and retrieve newly selected
and previously selected series into a new output file.
To see currently selected series, use the magnifying-glass icon
in the upper, right corner of the Browser application. Using the
window that will open, you can remove one or more series from
the selection.
Note that this function will not preserve selections from one
Browser session to the next.
Q) Can I search on the time series descriptor
text?
A) No. You can search only on the country, subject,
and partner code fields within the time series code. To search the
database using time series codes (time series names),
- click on the Search-function button,
- enter desired strings including wildcards in time series key
sub-fields, according to naming conventions of time series,
or select the desired country, subject, and/or partner countries
from the drop-down lists,
- click on Search form-submission button beneath the search
fields to return a list of time series matching wildcard specification,
- select (tick) the desired series within the list of found
series or use the checkmark icon to select all, and
- click the Plus icon to add the series to the current selection.
Q) Is there a way to select or create my own
country groups for selection?
A) No. However, this function is possible with
the CD-ROM applications.
Q) Can I view tables in the same format as the
printed IFS, DOT, and BOP yearbook pages?
A) Yes. The Country Tables and World and Area
Tables provide standard presentation tables in a format similar
to that presented in the yearbooks. For IFS, you can navigate to
the print-formatted versions in the PDFs and Documents section of
the Browse screen.
Data Topics
Data Sets
Q) What is the difference between IFS and WEO
data?
A) The data published in IFS by the IMF Statistics
Department come from member country statistical authorities (e.g.,
central bank, finance ministry, etc.). The data published in the
WEO publication by the IMF Research Department come from information
gathered by the IMF country desk officers at the time of the WEO
exercise. Because of differences in data collection techniques,
methodological issues, focus, and timing, the data in IFS and WEO
may differ.
Q) Are all the time series available through
the Economic Concept View?
A) Yes. This view allows the retrieval of similar
concepts across a number of countries for a given concept, to the
extent they exist.
The Economic Concept View typically lists different codes at
the individual series level that fall within a particular concept
grouping. For each code, a count of the number of countries for
which the series exists is displayed to the right of the partner
country in the concept selection box. You may select multiple
concept groupings within the Countries and Concepts list boxes
by using Ctrl-Click, Shift-Click, and holding the mouse button
while dragging the mouse cursor. You may then view the union of
series for each of the chosen concept groupings and countries
for selection.
Note that data for a limited number of countries are available
for a given concept.
Q) Does the coverage of data match the coverage
of the printed IFS, DOT, and BOP publications and yearbooks?
A) Yes. IFS Online coverage matches the printed
monthly IFS publication. IFS Online includes all series appearing
on the monthly IFS publication country pages as well as series from
the World Tables. (The printed IFSY has a few more world tables
that are not in IFS Online.)
BOP Online coverage matches the printed BOP Yearbook (BOPSY).
They have the same country pages and world tables.
DOT Online coverage matches the printed DOT yearbook (DOTSY).
They have the same country pages and world tables.
The online databases host the same series content as the CD-ROM
products as well.
Timing of Data Updates
Q) How often are the online IFS, BOP, DOT and
GFS updated?
A) Online IFS, BOP, and DOT are updated once a
month while the online GFS is updated quarterly; the updated online
databases are posted on the Web on the first of each month or quarter.
Q) It looks like data in IFS lag compared to
data that are reported by other data providers. Why are data in
the IFS not timely?
A) Please keep in mind that unlike commercial
data providers who update their databases right after the government's
data are released, the IMF relies on countries to report data on
a monthly schedule. Once the data are reviewed and validated, they
will appear in IFS. This inevitably causes a lag in data compared
to the actual data point available.
Exchange Rates
Q) Do you have daily exchange rate data?
Q) Why don't you have nominal and real effective
exchange rates for all the countries?
A) Country coverage varies; some country authorities
have requested that the IMF not publish their data and make it available
to the public.
Country Coverage
Q) Which countries are included in the IFS and
DOT group of oil exporting countries?
A) The countries are: Algeria, Indonesia, Iran,
Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United
Arab Emirates, and Venezuela.
Q) Are Taiwan data included in China data?
A) No, Taiwan data are not included in China Mainland
data.
Q) Why don't you have Taiwan in IFS, BOP, and
DOT?
A) Per Chinese authorities' request, data for
Taiwan, Province of China are not published on country pages in
the print edition, CD-ROM, or online versions for IFS, BOP, and
DOT. The data are made available only as an individual line item
in (1) the yearbooks' world table section for the databases mentioned
above and (2) the reserves and exports/imports tables in the monthly
IFS world table section.
GDP
Q) I am trying to compare GDP across all countries.
Do you have GDP in U.S. dollars for all countries?
A) GDP data in IFS are in national currencies.
You can convert GDP data from a national currency to U.S. dollars
by taking the GDP and exchange rate data from IFS. You may also
find GDP in U.S. dollars in the Research Department's World Economic
Outlook (WEO) database at
http://www.imf.org/external/ns/cs.aspx?id=28Q) Do you have world GDP?
Q) Do you have GDP based on Purchasing Power
Parity (PPP)?
Q) Can I find GDP at constant prices in IFS?
A) Yes. We publish real GDP in index form, called
GDP volume, in IFS.
Q) I'm looking for forecast data for GDP. Do
you have it?
CPI
Q) How is the World CPI data calculated?
A) World and Regional CPI data are calculated by weighted geometric average. For example, CPI for industrial country group is labeled as CPIind. Then CPIind = EXP ∑(Wi * LN(CPIi)) where i denotes each industrial country, and W is each country’s relative share of the group weight. The weight used for the calculation is the PPP value of GDP. For more detailed information, please refer to the IFS Introduction pages, Section 11, “World Tables” which explains country groups, calculation of area totals and averages, and methodologies.
Balance of Payments and Remittances
Q) I'm looking for remittance data. Where can
I find it?
A) Data on workers' remittances at the country
level are available in BOP.
Q) Do you have bilateral balance of payments
data?
A) We carry balance of payments data for each
country and for world/regions only. We do not carry bilateral balance
of payments data.
Imports and Exports
Q) Do you have exports/imports by commodity?
A) We neither collect nor publish trade by commodity.
However, the United Nations maintains a Commodity Trade Statistics
database at
http://comtrade.un.org/Q) Do you have exports and imports of a country
by trading partner?
A) Yes, DOT has merchandise exports and imports
between each country and all its trading partners.
Q) Why don't exports of country A match the
imports of country B in DOT?
A) Several complications can cause inconsistency
between exports to a partner and the partner's recorded imports
f.o.b., or between imports f.o.b. from a partner and the partner's
recorded exports. The principal reasons for inconsistent statistics
on destination and origin for a given shipment are differences in
1) classification concepts and detail, 2) time of recording, 3)
valuation, and 4) coverage, as well as 5) processing errors.
Q) Are the exports/imports data in DOT reported
in US dollars in nominal or real terms?
A) All data are expressed in US dollars in nominal
terms.
Q) Which countries are included in the IFS and
DOT group of oil exporting countries?
A) The countries in this group are Algeria, Indonesia,
Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United
Arab Emirates, and Venezuela.
Q) Are the merchandise exports/imports data
for goods only or for goods and services?
A) Exports and imports data are for goods only.
