Balance Of Payments Manual Sixth Edition Compilation Guide

The Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual 6: Compilation Guide is a companion document to the sixth edition of the Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual (BPM6). The purpose of the Guide is to show how the conceptual framework described in the BPM6 may be implemented in practice and to provide practical advice on source data and methodologies for compiling statistics on the balance of payments and the international investment position. The Guide is not intended to be a stand-alone manual, and readers should be familiar with the BPM6.

The Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual 6: Compilation Guide is a companion document to the sixth edition of the Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual (BPM6). The purpose of the Guide is to show how the conceptual framework described in the BPM6 may be implemented in practice and to provide practical advice on source data and methodologies for compiling statistics on the balance of payments and the international investment position. The Guide is not intended to be a stand-alone manual, and readers should be familiar with the BPM6.

The sixth edition of the Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual presents revised and updated standards for concepts, definitions, and classifications for international accounts statistics. These standards are used globally to compile comprehensive and comparable data. The sixth edition is the latest in a series that the IMF began in 1948. It is the result of widespread consultation and provides elaboration and clarification requested by users. In addition, it focuses on developments such as globalization, financial market innovation, and increasing interest in balance sheet analysis.

The fifth edition of Balance of Payments Manual, issued in 1993, presents revised and updated standards for concepts, definitions, classifications, and conventions for compilation of balance of payments and international investment position statistics that reflect the widespread changes that have taken place in international transactions since the fouth edition was published in 1977. As the international standard, the Manual serves as a guide for IMF member countries that regularly report balance of payments data to the IMF. The Manual contains significantly expanded and restructured coverage of financial flows and stocks and international transactions in services. Harmonization with the System of National Accounts and other IMF statistical systems is also greatly increased. See also companion volumes, the Balance of Payments Compilation Guide and the Balance of Payments Textbook.

The International Transactions in Remittance: Guide for Compilers and Users (RCG) presents concepts, definitions, and classifications related to remittances. It is consistent with the new standards for measuring balance of payments transactions, as contained in the sixth edition of the Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual (BPM6). These standards are used globally to compile comprehensive and comparable data. The RCG identifies the main remittances compilation methods currently being used by compilers and discusses in detail the strengths and weaknesses of each method. It is the first manual providing compilation guidance for remittances and is also the first compilation guide based on concepts set out in BPM6. Although the RCG is primarily aimed at remittances data compilers, it may also be useful for users who wish to understand remittances data.