Special Data Dissemination Standard

SDDS What's New

 Last Update: March 01, 2013

Special Data Dissemination Standard Guide 2013
New Subscribers to the SDDS
Annual Observance Reports
Quarterly Update
Recent Reviews and Discussions of the IMF's Data Standards' Initiatives
 

Special Data Dissemination Standard Guide 2013

The pre-publication version of the Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS) Guide 2013 supersedes the version of 2007. It reflects the developments in the SDDS since 2007 and also amplifies, and in some instances clarifies, issues elaborated in the previous Guide. The key changes approved by the IMF’s Executive Board at the Seventh Review of the Fund's Data Standards Initiatives in December 2008 and the March 2010 discussion on Broadening Financial Indicators in the Special Data Dissemination Standard were (i) the revision of the Data Template for International Reserves and Foreign Currency Liquidity to cover exchange-traded futures, settled in domestic currency; (ii) the inclusion of seven financial soundness indicators (FSIs) on an encouraged basis; (ii) the move to quarterly reporting (from annual) of the international investment position data; and (iii) the addition of a simplified table on countries’ external debt by remaining maturity (on an encouraged basis). The data quality issue was also addressed through the requirement that the SDDS metadata should indicate where subscriber’s statistical practices deviate from internationally accepted statistical methodologies, as well as by encouraging SDDS subscribers to undertake and publish a data quality assessment every 7-10 years. During the Eighth Review of the Fund’s Data Standard Initiatives in February 2012, the Executive Board approved further enhancements to the SDDS. These include: (i) the introduction of a more structured timeline for the SDDS nonobservance procedures; (ii) hyperlinks in the National Summary Data Pages to longer time series and more detailed data; (iii) the addition of more structure and focus to the encouraged data category, Forward-Looking Indicators (FLIs); (iv) the deletion of the Advance Release Calendar flexibility options from the SDDS after a transition period; (v) termination of the preparation of the SDDS quarterly update and its posting on the DSBB; and (vi) incorporation of two additional data categories on an encouraged basis. The Guide is expected to continue to be updated to reflect the developments of the SDDS.

Translations of this Guide in to French, Spanish, Arabic, and Russian will be posted on the DSBB in due course.

New Subscribers to the SDDS

• On April 19, 2012, West Bank/Gaza became the 71th subscriber to the SDDS, and the 12th country to graduate from the GDDS to the SDDS.
• On February 28, 2012, Mauritius  became the 70th subscriber to the SDDS, and the 11th country to graduate from the GDDS to the SDDS.
• On November 21, 2011, Macedonia, FYR  became the 69th subscriber to the SDDS, and the 10th country to graduate from the GDDS to the SDDS.
• On May 17, 2010, Georgia became the 68th subscriber to the SDDS, and the 9th country to graduate from the GDDS to the SDDS.
• On January 28, 2010, Jordan became the 67th subscriber to the SDDS, and the 8th country to graduate from the GDDS to the SDDS.
• On December 1, 2009, Malta became the 66th subscriber to the SDDS, and the 7th country to graduate from the GDDS to the SDDS.
• On December 1, 2009, Cyprus became the 65th subscriber of the SDDS.

Annual Observance Reports

The Executive Board authorized annual reports of subscribers' observance of their SDDS undertakings in March 1999 after the Second Review of the Special Data Dissemination Standard. During the Sixth Review of the Fund's Data Standards' Initiatives in November 2005, Directors supported the staff's intention to assess subscribing countries' observance of their SDDS undertakings annually and to post the first results on the DSBB in 2007.

The reports cover the observance of SDDS following the legal text governing the SDDS and include the four SDDS dimensions (Data, Access by the Public, Integrity and Quality). They review the subscribing countries' observance of their SDDS undertakings regarding the data coverage, periodicity and timeliness; the punctuality of data releases against the advance release calendars; the data dissemination on the national summary data page (NSDP), and the metadata certification during the reference year. The reports also include a link to the data module of the Reports on Observance of Standards and Codes where relevant, and mention IMF staff impressions of data quality from the most recent Article IV report.

• 2011 Annual Reports
• 2010 Annual Reports
• 2009 Annual Reports
• 2008 Annual Reports
• 2007 Annual Reports
• 2006 Annual Reports

Quarterly Update

Quarterly Update on the Special Data Dissemination Standard, Third Quarter 2011 was posted to the IMF's website on December 21, 2011.

On February 22, 2012, during the IMF’s Executive Board’s discussion of the Eighth Review of the Fund’s Data Standards Initiatives, Directors supported terminating the preparation of the SDDS Quarterly Update and its posting on the Dissemination Standards Bulletin Board (see http://www.imf.org/external/np/sec/pn/2012/pn1218.htm.)

Recent Reviews and Discussions of the IMF's Data Standards' Initiatives

Eighth Review of the Fund's Data Standards Initiatives
February 24, 2012

Interim Report for the Eighth Review of the IMF's Data Standards Initiatives
March 9, 2011

Broadening Financial Indicators in the Special Data Dissemination Standard
March 23, 2010

Seventh Review of the Fund's Data Standards Initiatives
December 10,2008