Comparability

Comparability - geographical

The International trade in services statistics are compiled according to international standards. Accordingly they are comparable with the statistics of other developed countries. The partner countries' recording of the same transactions (the mirror transactions) are in principle comparable statistics. Such comparisons are, however, usually entailed with several problems.

Comparability over time

Breaks in the time series are to be expected for trade in services as a result of the new sources and the new compilation method since 2005. This particularly applies for items at a low level of aggregation. It is, however, submitted that total trade in services, net, is compiled without any significant break. The updated sample and adjusted grossing up procedures, effective from 2009 and again from 2014, does not establish breaks in the usual sense of the word, but again minor breaks on the most detailed levels can be observed.

Coherence - cross domain

The international trade in services statistics are included in the Balance of Payments statistics without any adjustment and also in the rest of the world account of The National Accounts. The National Accounts have a different split between goods and services for imports compared with Balance of Payments; the difference relates to freight on imports. This implies that only the sum of goods and services are identical in the two statements.

Coherence - internal

There is full internal coherence.