November 17-28, 2025

29 officials from the central banks, ministries of finance, and statistics bureaus of 9 countries including China, Nepal, Bangladesh, Uganda, Kenya, Maldives, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Djibouti, learned about high frequency indicators of economic activity through a two-week course from November 17 to 28, 2025 in Dalian.

Economic growth, as measured by changes in real GDP, is one indicator of an economy’s health. In most countries, these estimates are only available annually or quarterly, and with significant lags. Economic monitoring and policy decision making, however, are carried out more frequently and based on the most recent periods. Most countries meet this need by producing high-frequency indicators of economic activity that may be available quarterly, monthly, or even weekly.

These high-frequency indicators complement annual and quarterly GDP estimates, bringing together a range of elementary data to give policymakers general and timely measures to track national trends in the short run. Their development or improvement is an important objective of statistical agencies across countries.

This course, presented by the IMF Statistics Department (STA), highlighted the need to compile indicators that follow international best practices and allow for comparisons through time and among economies. The course gave relevance to the practical implementation of the topics discussed and covered the use of traditional and non-traditional data sources, the compilation of accurate volume measures, the use of statistical techniques as seasonal adjustment and benchmarking, the development of early estimates, and the importance of an adequate dissemination policy.