System of National Accounts
The System of National Accounts (SNA) is the internationally agreed standard set of recommendations on
how to compile measures of economic activity in accordance with strict accounting conventions based on
economic principles. The recommendations are expressed in terms of a set of concepts, definitions, classifications and accounting rules that
comprise the internationally agreed standard for measuring such items as gross domestic product (GDP), the most frequently quoted indicator of
economic performance. The accounting framework of the SNA allows economic data to be compiled and presented in
a format that is designed for purposes of economic analysis, decision-taking and policymaking.
