Non-observed economy in national accounts. Survey of country practices

This publication presents an overview of current practices of 43 countries in measuring the non-observed economy - those activities that are illegal or hidden from authorities to avoid paying tax or social security contributions. It focuses on the description of methods used and includes quantitative examples and estimates of the share of non-observed economy in the GDP of different countries. Statisticians have developed a range of techniques to estimate the informal, illegal and underground activities, and those undertaken by households for their own final use. The publication gives an overview how countries are using these techniques in practice.