ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines the system of national accounting used internationally, followed by an explanation of the system used to classify industries. It looks at the development and presentation of construction industry statistics reported by national and international statistical agencies. There is an International Standard Industrial Classification, but Europe, North America and Australasia have their own versions of the international standard. If custom goods account for only a relatively small proportion of output, the price indices used in the standardized part of the industry can be applied. An industry classification system collects companies and other organizations into groups with similar characteristics. Because the data on industry activity and output is presented in these classifications, analysis of trends and forecasts of construction work are also usually found in this format. The conventions differ between countries, so international comparisons have to be treated with circumspection, particularly when comparing construction output.
