Enhancing coverage of financial market activity

Abstract

In July 2009 a special edition of Economic and Labour Market Review presented a series of articles identifying areas for improvement in the coverage of financial statistics under the Developing financial statistics for policy programme. This article focuses on the gaps that exist in current statistical coverage of financial activity, especially as it relates to innovation in the financial sector. It is a precursor to the potential development of appropriate statistical measures that will capture the values of new financial instruments and the behaviour of new institutions. The resulting metrics will improve the depth of understanding of financial markets and provide the foundation for relevant and timely macroprudential indicators that will assist in the prediction of systemic risks to financial institutions.