Students Corner

Who uses the National Accounts?

The national accounts bring together into one overall framework the different aspects of the economy. They are used by policy makers, analysts and researchers to examine the performance of the economy. Because they are developed using international standards, they can be used to compare Ireland with other countries.

Another important use in recent years is for administrative purposes within the EU. For example, Ireland's contribution to the EU budget is partly based on GNP levels. The GDP figures were also used in determining eligibility for EMU as the basis for the measures of government deficit and debt as percentages of GDP.