Sources and methods

14.122    Capital transfers are compiled using a counterparty model as Balance of Payments and Government Finance Statistics are the only available data sources. Capital transfers received by non-residents are directly observed and compiled by Balance of Payments. Public sector estimates are sourced directly from Government Finance Statistics. These data are reported by capital transfers received and paid by general government (total, national and state and local), public non-financial corporations and public financial corporations.

14.123    Domestically, capital transfers for the private sectors are not measured in their own right. Estimates are therefore compiled using the counterparty public sectors. These estimates are modelled based on Government Finance Statistics estimates of public sector capital transfers paid and received. The model utilises unpublished Government Finance Statistics expense data by counterparty sector. This disaggregation allows for estimates of public sector transfers to all other domestic sectors and subsectors.

14.124    Counterparty sector disaggregation is currently not available for Government Finance Statistics revenue data and therefore assumptions are incorporated for the private sector splits of what capital transfers are received by the public sector. Private non-financial corporations are assumed to account for the majority of transfers to the public sector and are therefore calculated as a residual, with a small allocation apportioned to the household sector to account for transfers from unincorporated enterprises and non-profit institutions serving households.