Data Watch: The U.S. National Income and Product Accounts

GDP is arguably the most widely used economic statistic. It is part of the National Income and Product Accounts (NIPAs). The concepts, methods and source data for the NIPAs are described in this article. It contains citations to more detailed information obtainable from the publications and web sites of the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, the agency responsible for the NIPAs. A brief history describes the evolution of the accounts. It explains the growing congruence between the U.S. accounts and the UN's System of National Accounts (SNA). The integration of financial and satellite accounts into the NIPAs is summarized.