Macroeconomic Statistics of the Transition Period: World Bank Publications on the Former USSR Countries

The article examines publications by World Bank experts on methodology, comparability and revision of macroeconomic statistics of the former USSR countries during the transition period of the 1990s. The beginning of that period was marked by tremendous changes in the state, economic, and social structure of the former USSR countries. These changes have fully affected macroeconomic statistics. Today's researchers may find it difficult to understand the terminology, methodology, and content of transition statistics. For a better understanding, it might be helpful to study the views of international experts who have studied this subject with regard to international statistical methodology, which was generally accepted at that time.

The article examines three landmark statistical works by experts of the World Bank. The first and the earliest work provides indicators calculated according both to the Soviet and international methodologies, which makes them comparable. The second work by a well-known World Bank expert examines, which of the former Soviet republics were «subsidized» by others due to low prices for fuel and energy resources and other goods traded between them. Finally, the third paper presents the results of the published GDP estimates revision due to some changes in methodology. It was the first revision in the history of officially published GDP estimates in Russia.

Some of the conclusions drawn by the authors of these works may seem simplistic and even somewhat naive today, thirty years later, however, the works also contain very useful explanations and conclusions regarding Russian statistics of this period and, as such, they can be interesting.

1. UNECE. Non-Observed Economy in National Accounts: Survey of Country Practices. New York, Geneva: UN; 2008. 340 p. Available from: https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/630778?ln=ru&v=pdf.

2. The World Bank. Statistical Handbook. States of the Former USSR. Washington, DC: The World Bank; 1992. Available from: https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/681521468744108326/pdf/multi0page.pdf.

3. World Bank. Belkindas M.V., Ivanova O.V. (eds) Foreign Trade Statistics in the USSR and Successor Countries. Washington, DC: World Bank; 1995. 252 p. Available from: https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/172291468752103344/pdf/multi0page.pdf.

4. World Bank, State Statistics Committee. Russian Federation – Report on the National Accounts. (In Russ.) Washington, DC: World Bank; 1995. Available from: http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/484851468107677833.

5. Gavrilenkov E., Koen V. How Large Was the Output Collapse in Russia and Alternative Estimates and Welfare Implications. IMF Working Paper No. 1994/154. International Monetary Fund; 1994. 38 p. Available from: https://doi.org/10.5089/9781451921847.001.