Methodology Papers
Descriptions of the methodologies used to prepare BEA's National, Industry, Regional, and International accounts data are accessible on this page.
Note: These methodologies are periodically refined to incorporate new and better source data and improved estimating procedures. The refinements are described in articles in BEA's monthly Survey of Current Business (SCB) that present annual or comprehensive revisions to the estimates.
National Accounts
Concepts
- Measuring the Economy: A Primer on GDP and the National Income and Product Accounts
September 2007 - A Guide to the National Income and Product Accounts of the United States
September 2006 - MP-1: An Introduction to the National Income and Product Accounts
September 2007 - Taking the Pulse of the Economy: Measuring GDP
Journal of Economic Perspectives, Spring 2008 - NIPA Handbook: Concepts and Methods of the U.S. National Income and Product Accounts
October 2009 (updated to reflect the 2009 comprehensive revision) - NIPA Handbook, Chapter 5: Personal Consumption Expenditures
September 2009 - The fifth chapter of the NIPA handbook, which discusses the concepts, source data, and estimating methods for personal consumption expenditures, is now available. - Housing Services in the National Economic Accounts
September 2007 - Gross Domestic Product as a Measure of U.S. Production
SCB, August 1991
(See also: Analytical and Presentational Articles from the National Accounts)
Methods
NIPA Handbook
- Chapters 1-4: Concepts and Methods of the U.S. National Income and Product Accounts
October 2009 (updated to reflect the 2009 comprehensive revision) - Chapter 5: Personal Consumption Expenditures
September 2009 - The fifth chapter of the NIPA handbook, which discusses the concepts, source data, and estimating methods for personal consumption expenditures, is now available. - Updated Summary NIPA Methodologies
November 2009
Consumer Spending
Private Investment
- How BEA Accounts for Investment in Private Structures
February 2009
Government Transactions
- A Primer on BEA’s Government Accounts
March 2008 - MP-5: Government Transactions
September 2005
Corporate Profits
- Corporate Profits: Profits Before Tax, Profits Tax Liability, and Dividends: Methodology Paper
September 2002
Comprehensive Revisions of the GDP accounts
- 2009 Comprehensive revision of the NIPA accounts
- 2003 Comprehensive Revision of the National Income and Product Accounts
- 1999 Comprehensive Revision of the National Income and Product Accounts
Other Topics
- Employee Stock Options and the National Economic Accounts
February 2008 - Recognition of Business and Government Expenditures for Software as Investment: Methodology and Quantitative Impacts, 1959-98
May 2000 - Price Indexes for Selected Semiconductors, 1974-96
SCB, February 1998
(See also: Analytical and Presentational Articles from the National Accounts)
Fixed Assets and Consumer Durable Goods
- Methodology, Fixed Assets and Consumer Durable Goods in the United States, 1925-97
September 2003 - The Measurement of Depreciation in the NIPA's
SCB, July 1997
(See also: Analytical and Presentational Articles from the National Accounts)
Industry Accounts
(See also: Analytical and Presentational Articles from the Industry Accounts)
Gross domestic product by industry |
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| Annual Industry Accounts: Revised Estimates for 2005-2007 | SCB, December 2008 | (PDF - 489 KB) | |
| Integrating the 2002 Benchmark Input-Output Accounts and the 2002 Annual Industry Accounts | SCB, December 2007 | (PDF - 489 KB) | |
| Gross Domestic Product by Industry for 1947-86: New Estimates Based on the North American Industry Classification System | SCB, December 2005 | (PDF - 481KB) | |
| Annual Industry Accounts: Introducing KLEMS Input Estimates for 1997-2003 | SCB, September 2005 | (PDF - 648KB) | |
| Gross Domestic Product by Industry for 1987-2000: New Estimates on the North American Industry Classification System | SCB, November 2004 | (PDF - 329KB) | |
| Preview of the Comprehensive Revision of the Annual Industry Accounts: Integrating the Annual Input-Output Accounts and the Gross-Domestic-Product-by-Industry Accounts | SCB, March 2004 | (PDF - 213KB) | |
| Priorities for Industry Accounts | SCB, November 2000 | (PDF - 1386KB) | |
| Improved Estimates of Gross Product by Industry for 1947-98 | SCB, June 2000 | (PDF - 457KB) | |
| Gross Product by Industry Price Measures 1977-96 | SCB, March 1998 | (PDF - 412KB) | |
Annual Input-output |
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| Annual Industry Accounts: Revised Estimates for 2005-2007 | SCB, December 2008 | (PDF - 489 KB) | |
| Integrating the 2002 Benchmark Input-Output Accounts and the 2002 Annual Industry Accounts | SCB, December 2007 | (PDF - 489 KB) | |
| Preview of the Comprehensive Revision of the Annual Industry Accounts: Integrating the Annual Input-Output Accounts and the Gross-Domestic-Product-by-Industry Accounts | SCB, March 2004 | (PDF - 213KB) | |
| Priorities for Industry Accounts | SCB, November 2000 | (PDF - 1386KB) | |
| Annual Input-Output Accounts of the U.S. Economy, 1996 | SCB, January 2000 | (PDF - 907KB) | |
Benchmark input-output |
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| Integrating the 2002 Benchmark Input-Output Accounts and the 2002 Annual Industry Accounts | SCB, December 2007 | (PDF - 489 KB) | |
| U.S. Benchmark Input-Output Accounts, 2002 | October 2007 | (PDF - 1260KB) | |
| Concepts and Methods of the U.S. Input-Output Accounts | September 2006 | (PDF - 3221KB) | |
| Preview of the Benchmark Input-Output Accounts for 2002: Preliminary Estimates of Gross Output, Proposed Classification Framework | SCB, September 2005 | (PDF - 222KB) | |
| Benchmark Input-Output Accounts of the United States, 1997 | SCB, December 2002 | (PDF - 1129KB) | |
| Methodology and Appendixes, Benchmark Input-output Accounts of the United States, 1992 | September 1998 | (PDF - 824KB) | |
Capital flow |
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| Business Investment by Industry in the U.S. Economy for 1997 | SCB, November 2003 | (PDF - 709KB) | |
| Investment in New Structures and Equipment in 1992 by Using Industries | SCB, December 1998 | (PDF - 869KB) | |
Satellite industry accounts |
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| 2007 R&D Satellite Account Methodologies: Current-dollar GDP Estimates | (PDF - 1082 KB) | |
| Methodology for the Industry Estimates in the 2007 R&D Satellite Account | (PDF - 1448 KB) | |
| Estimating Prices for R&D Investment in the 2007 R&D Satellite Account | (PDF - 446 KB) | |
| R&D Depreciation Rates in the 2007 R&D Satellite Account | (PDF - 80 KB) | |
| U.S. Travel and Tourism Satellite Accounts for 1998–2006 | SCB, June 2007 | (PDF - 2049 KB) |
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| A Proposal To Include Motor Vehicle Services in the U.S. Travel and Tourism Satellite Accounts | SCB, June 2007 | (PDF - 427 KB) |
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| BEA’s 2006 Research and Development Satellite Account: Preliminary Estimates for 1959-2002; Effect on GDP and Other Measures | SCB, December 2006 | (PDF - 1963 KB) |
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| Tables | (PDF - 1686 KB) | |
| R&D Satellite Account: Preliminary Estimates | September 2006 | (PDF - 1322 KB) | |
| U.S. Travel and Tourism Satellite Accounts for 2002-2005 | SCB, June 2006 | (PDF - 651 KB) | |
| U.S. Travel and Tourism Satellite Accounts for 2001-2004 | SCB, June 2005 | (PDF - 181KB) | |
| U.S. Travel and Tourism Satellite Accounts for 1998-2003 | SCB, September 2004 | (PDF - 235KB) | |
| U.S. Transportation Satellite Accounts for 1996 | SCB, May 2000 | (PDF - 244 KB) | |
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Regional Accounts
(See also: Analytical and Presentational Articles from the Regional Accounts)
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by state |
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| Gross Domestic Product by state estimation methodology | October 2006 | |
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State and local area methodology publications |
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| State Personal Income Methodology, 2008 | October 2009 | ||
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Local Area Personal Income and Employment Methodology, 2007 | May 2009 | |
Comprehensive revisions of personal income, articles from the SCB |
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| Comprehensive Revision of State Personal Income | SCB, November 2009 | (PDF - 563KB) | |
| Comprehensive Revision of Gross State Product, Accelerated Estimates for 2003, Revised Estimates for 1977–2002 | SCB, January 2005 | (PDF - 451KB) | |
| Comprehensive Revision of Local Area Personal Income: Revised Estimates for 1969–2001 and New Estimates for 2002 | SCB, June 2004 | (PDF - 526KB) | |
International Accounts
(See also: Analytical and Presentational Articles from the International Accounts)
Balance of Payments, Cross-Border Services and International Investment Position |
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| Catalog of Major Revisions to the U.S. International Accounts, 1976-2008 | ||
| Annual Revision of the U.S. International Accounts, 1997-2006 | SCB, July 2007 | (PDF - 496KB) | |
| Annual Revision of the U.S. International Accounts, 1995-2005 | SCB, July 2006 | (PDF - 499KB) | |
| Annual Revision of the U.S. International Accounts, 1991-2004 | SCB, July 2005 | (PDF - 342KB) | |
| Annual Revision of the U.S. International Accounts, 1991-2004 | SCB, July 2005 | (PDF - 342KB) | |
| Annual Revision of the U.S. International Accounts, 1991-2004 | SCB, July 2005 | (PDF - 342KB) | |
| Annual Revision of the U.S. International Accounts, 1989-2003 | SCB, July 2004 | (PDF - 174KB) | |
| Annual Revision of the U.S. International Accounts, 1992-2002 | SCB, July 2003 | (PDF - 414KB) | |
| Annual Revision of the U.S. International Accounts, 1993-2001 | SCB, July 2002 | (PDF - 273KB) | |
| U.S. International Transactions, Revised Estimates for 1989-2000 | SCB, July 2001 | (PDF - 148KB) | |
| U.S. International Transactions, Revised Estimates for 1982-99 | SCB, July 2000 | (PDF - 172KB) | |
| U.S. International Transactions, Revised Estimates for 1982-98 | SCB, July 1999 | (PDF - 216KB) | |
| U.S. International Transactions, Revised Estimates for 1986-97 | SCB, July 1998 | (PDF - 286KB) | |
| U.S. International Transactions, Revised Estimates for 1974-96 | SCB, July 1997 | (PDF - 334KB) | |
| U.S. International Transactions, Revised Estimates for 1986-95 | SCB, July 1996 | (PDF - 212KB) | |
| U.S. International Transactions, Revised Estimates for 1983-94 | SCB, June 1995 | (PDF - 280KB) | |
| U.S. International Transactions, Revised Estimates for 1984-93 | SCB, June 1994 | (PDF - 175KB) | |
| U.S. International Transactions, Revised Estimates for 1983-92 | SCB, June 1993 | (PDF - 2101KB) | |
| Technical note in U.S. International Transactions: First Quarter 1992 and Revised Estimates for 1976-91 | SCB, June 1992 | (PDF - 3518KB) | |
| Technical note in U.S. International Transactions: First Quarter 1991 | SCB, June 1991 | (PDF - 503KB) | |
| Technical note in U.S. International Transactions: First Quarter 1990 | SCB, June 1990 | (PDF - 1446KB) | |
| The Balance of Payments of the United States: Concepts, Data Sources, and Estimating Procedures | Publication, May 1990 | (PDF - 1674KB) | |
| International Services Surveys Conducted by the Bureau of Economic Analysis | March 2007 | (PDF - KB) | |
| An Ownership-Based Disaggregation of the Current Account, 1982-93 | SCB, October 1995 | (PDF - 534KB) | |
| Alternative Frameworks for U.S. International Transactions | SCB, December 1993 | (PDF - 209KB) | |
| Valuing the Direct Investment Position in U.S. Economic Accounts | October 2002 | (PDF - 48KB) | |
| Valuation of the Net International Investment Position | SCB, May 1991 | (PDF - 764KB) | |
Operations of Multinational Companies |
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| U.S. Direct Investment Abroad |
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U.S. Direct Investment Abroad: Final Results from the 2004 Benchmark Survey | Publication, November 2008 | |
| U.S. Direct Investment Abroad: Final Results From the 1999 Benchmark Survey | Publication, April 2004 | (PDF - 1376KB) | |
| U.S. Direct Investment Abroad: 1994 Benchmark Survey, Final Results | Publication, May 1998 | (PDF - 346KB) | |
| A Guide to BEA Statistics on U.S. Multinational Companies | SCB, March 1995 | (PDF - 520KB) | |
| Foreign Direct Investment in the United States | ||
| Foreign Direct Investment in the United States: 2002 Benchmark Survey, Final Results | Publication, October 2006 | (PDF - 701KB) | |
| Foreign Direct Investment in the United States: 1997 Benchmark Survey, Final Results | Publication, July 2001 | (PDF - 606KB) | |
| Foreign Direct Investment in the United States: 1992 Benchmark Survey, Final Results | Publication, September 1995 | (PDF - 168KB) | |
| A Guide to BEA Statistics on Foreign Direct Investment in the United States | SCB, February 1990 | (PDF - 616KB) | |
| Foreign Direct Investment in the United States: Establishment Data for 1997 | Publication, March 2003 | (PDF - 762KB) | |
| Foreign Direct Investment in the United States: Establishment Data for 1992 | Publication, May 1997 | (PDF - 214KB) | |
| Foreign Direct Investment in the United States: Establishment Data for Manufacturing, 1991 | Publication, September 1994 | (PDF - 59KB) | |
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