Bundesbank tasks relating to statistics

Statistical data provide an important basis for the Bundesbank’s monetary policy and macroprudential tasks. To this end, the Bundesbank not only draws on data from other providers of official statistics, but also collects statistical data itself as part of its statutory mandate. Aggregate data are regularly published in the Monthly Report, the Statistical Series, the time series databases and other formats. In addition, the Bundesbank has a duty to supply data within the European System of Central Banks (ESCB), the European Statistical System (ESS) and to international institutions. The statistical information provided on these pages comprises monetary, financial and foreign trade statistics, extensive sets of metrics and seasonally adjusted economic data.

Legal basis

Statistical surveys require a legal basis because they place a burden on reporting entities and impinge on the right to informational self-determination.

The collection of statistical data by the Bundesbank for the ESCB is enshrined in European primary law. The regulation on the collection of statistical information by the ECB sets out the process in more detail. For individual surveys, the ECB adopts regulations defining the reporting population and the content of the reporting obligation. The Bundesbank’s delivery obligations to the ECB are laid down in guidelines.

At the national level, the right to collect statistical data is enshrined in the Bundesbank Act (Gesetz über die Deutsche Bundesbank). On this basis, the Bundesbank issues orders for individual statistical surveys, setting out in each case the reporting population and the content of the reporting obligation. Further responsibilities stem from the Foreign Trade and Payments Act (Außenwirtschaftsgesetz).

Information on statistical reporting is available in the “Service/Reporting systems” section of the website.

The surveys collecting primary data are supplemented by secondary data which the Bundesbank obtains from other sources and prepares for the respective purpose.

In addition, the Bundesbank also collects data to fulfil its duties under the Financial Stability Act (Finanzstabilitätsgesetz).

Statistical cooperation

The Bundesbank compiles its statistics in line with international quality standards. These include the United Nations’ Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics, as well as international and European recommendations and best practices to ensure their quality. The ESCB has made a public commitment to comply with certain principles when developing, collecting, compiling and disseminating its statistics.

In order to develop uniform concepts for statistics and to close data gaps, the Bundesbank participates in numerous international, European and national statistical bodies. Harmonisation has now progressed so far that there are scarcely any remaining purely national statistical concepts. In addition, statistical cooperation serves to improve comprehensibility and boost the exchange of data by expanding internationally comparable statistics on a harmonised basis.

...in Europe

Within the ESCB, the Bundesbank works closely with the ECB and the other national central banks. Statistical tasks are increasingly being determined by the advancing process of European integration.

The Bundesbank is also part of the European Statistical System, in which the Statistical Office of the European Union (Eurostat), the national statistical offices and other national statistical authorities work together to provide comparable general economic statistics. The forum for coordinating the statistics of the statistical offices and the central banks is the Committee on Monetary, Financial and Balance of Payments Statistics (CMFB), which the Bundesbank will chair in 2023 and 2024.

...with the Federal Statistical Office and the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin)

At the national level, the Bundesbank works in tandem with the Federal Statistical Office to perform its statistical tasks. This long-standing cooperation was laid down in more formalised terms for the first time in 2014, when the institutions signed a Memorandum of Understanding to place their collaboration on a firm footing. The MoU is regularly updated to take into account changes arising from new responsibilities and data requirements. The most recent update to the Memorandum of Understanding occurred in 2021.

In addition, the Bundesbank works together with BaFin and exchanges data with it on a regular or ad hoc basis.

...with international institutions and bodies

In terms of statistics at the international level, the Bundesbank cooperates with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Group of Twenty major industrialised and emerging economies (G20), the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the United Nations (UN), amongst others.