Measuring the Non-Observed Economy: a Handbook (Paperback)

Good-quality, comprehensive national accounts are vital for economic policymaking and research. Exhaustive coverage is difficult to achieve, however, because some economic activities may be illegal, informal, household production for own final use, or missed because of deficiencies in the data collection system. Such activities are said to constitute the non-observed ("hidden," "underground," or "shadow") economy. This Handbook--the product of collaboration among the OECD, the IMF, ILO, and ISC-CIS--identifies best practices for measuring the non-observed economy, consistent with international standards (in particular, with the System of National Accounts 1993).