IMF Unveils New Global Standards for Macroeconomic Statistics with Release of BPM7

Washington, D.C., March 20, 2025 — The International Monetary Fund (IMF), in collaboration with the global statistical community, has released the seventh edition of the Integrated Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual (BPM7), establishing updated international standards for compiling external sector statistics.

The manual, last updated in 2009, incorporates significant changes reflecting the increasing complexity of the global economy—especially the effects of economic interconnectedness, digitalization, and financial innovation. BPM7 will serve as a critical guide for IMF member countries, offering a coherent framework for producing high-quality, internationally comparable statistics on the balance of payments and international investment positions.

Developed by the IMF Statistics Department in close consultation with the Committee on Balance of Payments Statistics (BOPCOM) and the broader global statistical community, BPM7 aims to improve the accuracy and relevance of economic data used by policymakers, analysts, and researchers.

The release of BPM7 aligns with the launch of the System of National Accounts 2025 (2025 SNA), adopted by the United Nations Statistical Commission earlier this month. Together, these two cornerstone frameworks modernize the global statistical infrastructure. Other manuals, including the Government Finance Statistics Manual 2014 and the Monetary and Financial Statistics Manual and Compilation Guide 2016, will be updated to ensure harmonization across all macroeconomic datasets.

The IMF has encouraged countries to implement the revised standards by 2029–2030 and has committed to supporting this transition through technical assistance and supplementary guidance.