Reliable up-to-date data are an essential need for managing economic policy, as they make it possible to examine economic developments over time and by international comparison. In order for the data on various countries to be comparable and consistent over time, the international institutions, chiefly the International Monetary Fund, define and develop methodologies for calculation, reporting, and detailed metadata.
The Bank of Israel Information and Statistics Department fulfills in practical terms the central bank’s statistical reporting requirements to international institutions. As such, the Department creates and produces the various reports, remains constantly up-to- date on changes in international standards, and adapts its statistical systems to changing informational needs.
This paper presents the variety of reports that the Bank of Israel sends to the international institutions directly and through the Central Bureau of Statistics, and focuses on a number of the reports that provide a significant and useful reporting framework.