Data Revisions of the Flow of Funds Accounts

March 23, 2011
Bank of Japan
Research and Statistics Department

The Bank of Japan releases retroactively revised figures of the Flow of Funds Accounts (hereafter the FFA) every March. The revised figures reflect the updated information on source data, the financial system, and legislations. Today, the Bank has posted retroactively revised fiscal-year and quarterly data from the second quarter of 2000 in the "BOJ Time-Series Data Search."

The main points of this data revision, which meets user's keen interest, are as follows:

i) Financial assets of the household sector

Financial assets and liabilities that account for electronic money, prepaid cards, and customer loyalty award credits are reflected in the FFA. Also, the revised estimation method is applied to the amount outstanding of currency held by the household sector.

A part of actuarially calculated retirement benefit obligations, which was not covered by corresponding financial assets and was not recorded in the FFA, is now included.

ii) Investment in Japanese financial assets by the overseas sector

The inward investment in Japanese listed shares by the overseas sector is identified separately from the unlisted shares and other equities.

iii) Industrial securities and structured-financing instruments

Privately placed bonds in "Industrial securities and structured-financing instruments" were recorded by estimation in the past. From now on, these figures are compiled using more reliable source data.

Inquiries

Financial Statistics Group, Economic Statistics Division, Research and Statistics Department

E-mail : post.rsd5@boj.or.jp