This CD-ROM contains tables and documentation for the National Income
and Product Accounts (NIPA's) of the United States, 1929-97, plus the
first two quarters of 1998. These estimates were last revised in
September 1998. All the estimates contained on this CD-ROM are subject
to revision in the forthcoming comprehensive revision of the NIPA's
scheduled for release in late 1999.
DESCRIPTION OF FILES:
There are six documentation (.DOC) files and five directories:
This file is README.DOC.
The CONTENTS.DOC file contains a listing of the articles and tables
included in the documentation and data directories.
The INDEX.DOC file contains an index to the NIPA tables.
The INSTALL.DOC file contains information about the basic system
requirements.
The READER.DOC file contains information about the Adobe Acrobat
Reader, which can be installed from the PROGRAMS directory.
The VIEWER.DOC file contains information about Microsoft Excel Viewer
97, which can be installed from the PROGRAMS directory.
The DOCUMS directory contains articles from the SURVEY OF CURRENT
BUSINESS that include information about the estimates and the
methodology used to prepare them. These articles are in Acrobat
(.pdf) format. On this CD-ROM, hyperlinks within an article work,
but those that reference information outside the article in which
they appear do not.
The NIPAS directory contains the 142 published tables that comprise the
accounts. These tables are in Excel (.xls) format.
The PROGRAMS directory contains files for installing two programs that
can be used to read the files in the documentation and data
directories: VIEWER.EXE will install Microsoft Excel Viewer 97, and
READER.EXE will install the Adobe Acrobat Reader v.3.01 for Windows 95.
(See the installation instructions on the insert packaged with this
CD-ROM.) If you already have Excel or another program that will read
Excel format spreadsheets, you do not have to install the Viewer. If
you already have Acrobat, you do not have to install the Reader.
The SUMMARY directory contains four published tables that provide the
most frequently used NIPA series. They are in Excel format.
The UNPUB directory contains additional tables that provide unpublished
detail (dollars to millions and index numbers to three decimal places).
They are in Excel format. NIPA tables showing percent changes or
percentage point contributions to percent change, and NIPA tables that
are already expressed in dollars or millions of dollars, are not
repeated in this section. Caution should be exercised in using and
interpreting the unpublished detail; the additional precision may not
be meaningful.
METHODOLOGY: The articles, "A Guide to the NIPA's," by Eugene P. Seskin
and Robert P. Parker, and "Updated Summary NIPA Methodologies", published
in the March and September 1998 SURVEY OF CURRENT BUSINESS, respectively,
and included on this CD-ROM, provides a summary of the definitions and
methodology underlying the NIPA's. Other articles in the DOCUM directory
provide additional information.
RELEASE DATE:
February 1999.
TIME PERIOD COVERED by these files:
Annual estimates, 1929-97.
Quarterly current-dollar estimates, 1946:I-1998:II.
Quarterly real measures and prices, 1947:I-1998:II.
Monthly series, 1959:January-1998:June.
Many detailed series have later starting dates.
measures begin with 1982.
PERIODICITY OF ESTIMATES:
Most chained-dollar
Annual, quarterly, and monthly.
UNITS OF MEASURE: Current-dollar measures are in billions of dollars.
Real (i.e., inflation-adjusted) measures are in billions of chained
(1992) dollars. Current-dollar and real measures are reported in the
general format 999.9. The decimal point is included in the data field.
Chain-type quantity and price index numbers are based to 1992=100 and
are reported in the general format 999.99. Quarterly and monthly
series are seasonally adjusted at annual rates unless stated otherwise.
Quarterly percent changes are at annual rates.
FREQUENCY OF RELEASE: Annually. NIPA estimates are published monthly
in the SURVEY OF CURRENT BUSINESS. "Advance" estimates are released
near the end of the first month after the end of the quarter;
"preliminary" and "final" estimates are released near the end of the
second and third months, respectively. NIPA estimates are usually
revised every summer and cover the months and quarters of the most
recent calendar year and of the 2 preceding years. This CD-ROM will
be updated after the next comprehensive revision of the NIPA's,
scheduled for late 1999, and annually thereafter.
MAJOR CHANGES in coverage, definition, or methodology since the
preceding CD-ROM release: This is the first release.
COPYRIGHTED DATA contained in these files:
None.
CONTACTS FOR CD-ROM USERS:
If you want to obtain the most recent NIPA estimates, go to the BEA
web site at www.bea.doc.gov and click on "GDP and related data."
More detailed NIPA estimates are available from STAT-USA's internet
services; to subscribe, visit www.stat-usa.gov or call 202-482-1986.
If you would like to order additional copies of this CD-ROM:
BEA Order Desk 1-800-704-0415 (outside the United States,
call 202-606-9666)
If you have comments or questions about the national income and
product accounts:
Virginia Mannering
(202) 606-5304
If you have questions or comments about the use of this CD-ROM:
Mary D. Young
(202) 606-9677
Send written comments or questions to:
National Income and Wealth Division BE-54
Bureau of Economic Analysis
U.S. Department of Commerce
Washington, DC 20230