National Income Accounts: Measurement, Practice, and Welfare Implications of the Initial Estimates of Kosovo's GDP

This article reports estimates of Kosovo's GDP for 2000 based on a survey of household expenditures, the UN's government budget, customs data, and projections of international donor organizations' assistance and investment. Estimated per capita GDP was in the range of $1135-$1185, nearly three times the $400 World Bank estimate that had been conventionally used to guide policy and technical assistance designs. The article discusses the sources of the data, provides checks from macroeconomic theory on their credibility, and prescribes statistical resources and policies to ensure a more systematic and conventional tracking of Kosovo's future aggregate economic activity. Copyright 2003 Western Economic Association International.