Advancing National Accounts through Interactive Learning at the JVI

From March 30 to April 10, 2026, the IMF Statistics Department delivered an advanced national accounts course at the Joint Vienna Institute in Vienna. The two week interactive program brought together 29 mid career national accountants from 18 countries to strengthen their compilation skills through hands on learning. The course focused on practical approaches to improving national accounts, with a focus on supply use frameworks, input–output tables, capital measurement, and changes under the 2025 System of National Accounts.

The course aimed to enhance participants’ knowledge of advanced national accounts compilation in line with the 2008 SNA, ESA 2010, and the newly adopted 2025 SNA. It combined conceptual foundations with practical approaches to address real world compilation challenges.

Training blended lectures with hands on workshops, structured discussions, and participant presentations. This format encouraged peer learning and enabled participants to apply new concepts directly to country specific statistical issues.

The first week revisited core topics such as institutional units, groupings, and price and volume measurement before moving into more advanced material, including chain linking, backcasting, and supply and use tables. The focus in the second week was on input output tables, capital measurement, and selected industry specific topics. Participants also explored key innovations introduced in the 2025 SNA, many of which will feature in the forthcoming ESA 2028, helping prepare them for future methodological transitions.

Feedback highlighted strong engagement throughout the course, driven by its practical focus and interactive design. Participants emphasized how the close integration of lectures and workshops supported deeper understanding of complex topics. Many also valued the opportunity to exchange country experiences, which helped place methodological guidance in a real world compilation context. 

"Combining theoretical input with same-day practice made complex topics much easier to grasp and retain and gave me a clearer perspective on how to refine my own estimates"

— Dusko Bumbic, Statistical Office of Serbia

Participant feedback will continue to guide refinements to course content and delivery, helping ensure that future training responds closely to countries’ evolving needs. By strengthening the focus on practical implementation of 2025 SNA recommendations and integrating country experiences into exercises and discussions, the program will better support national statistical offices in improving compilation practices, addressing data and capacity constraints, and navigating methodological transitions.

Bhanumati P., Senior Economist, IMF