The information on this page will regularly be updated as the process moves forward.
Towards ESA 2030
The European system of accounts (ESA) is broadly consistent with the system of national accounts (SNA), which is the global standard. This ensures that gross domestic product (GDP) and other key macroeconomic indicators of EU countries are comparable with those of the rest of the world. The SNA is updated roughly every 15 years to take account of major changes in the functioning of economies.
Update of global macroeconomic standards
In March 2025, the UN Statistical Commission adopted a new version of the SNA (2025 SNA). The update of the SNA aims to make it more relevant for the analysis of aspects related to globalisation, digitalisation, wellbeing, and sustainability.
The SNA has been updated in parallel and in close coordination with the ‘Balance of Payments Manual’ (BPM), which is the reference for the compilation of balance of payments statistics. This ensures consistency between the 2 macroeconomic standards. At the global level, an updated version of BPM (BPM7) was also endorsed in March 2025. In the EU, the introduction of the updated BPM is envisaged at the same time as the updated ESA.
Revision of European national accounts methodology
Eurostat is working on revising the ESA 2010 to ensure that it is consistent with the 2025 SNA.
A draft legislative proposal for the ESA 2030 is being prepared, which includes the methodological framework as well as the revised data transmission programme. It is currently undergoing a thorough consultation process with EU countries and other stakeholders. The European Commission is expected to adopt the proposal once this process has been completed.
Regarding the main changes in the 2025 SNA, implementation work has started, and national statistical institutes (NSIs) are already producing experimental estimates on the main innovations. Dedicated task forces have been set up and are addressing practical compilation challenges.
The statistical classification of economic activities (NACE) and the statistical classification of products by activity (CPA) will also be updated in national accounts in September 2030.
Main innovations
The 3 main innovations in 2025 SNA and the future ESA 2030 are:
Natural resources such as minerals, energy resources, land, and forests play a critical role in economic production and national wealth. In previous SNA / ESA versions, their treatment has been partial or inconsistent. Updates to the 2025 SNA and the future ESA 2030 will improve how these assets are recorded aiming to ensure a more comprehensive representation of economic activity and sustainability.
Key changes
- explicit treatment of resource depletion as a cost to the economy
- broader inclusion of natural resource assets by adding renewable energy resources to subsoil assets, timber and forest resources, and fish resources
- improved guidance on valuation, including market and non-market approaches
- better alignment with environmental-economic accounting frameworks.
Implementation
EU statisticians are working on the practical modalities for the implementation of these new standards to ensure robust and comparable measures. Their work is based on the international handbook 'Measuring Natural Resources in the National Accounts — OECD'. The work is conducted in a task force chaired by Eurostat and including countries and international organisations.
For the first time, data as a produced asset and a component of economic activity are explicitly recognised and no longer treated as a by-product of doing business.
Benefits of this innovation are:
- improved completeness and relevance of national accounts
- aligned measured investment with how firms and governments actually allocate resources
- enhanced international comparability as countries follow a common framework allowing users to better analyse growth, productivity, and the role of intangible capital
- give visibility to a growing share of economic activity in headline statistics, such as gross domestic product (GDP) and gross fixed capital formation (GFCF).
Key changes
- data become a recognised produced asset
- own-account data production are considered as investment
- improved measure of GDP and GFCF
- better reflection of today's digital economy in which companies increasingly generate value from collecting, organising, and using data.
Implementation
EU statisticians are working on the practical modalities for the implementation of these new standards to ensure robust and comparable measures. Their work is based on the international manual ‘Handbook in measuring data in the system of national accounts’. The work is conducted in a task force chaired by Eurostat and including countries and international organisations.
The treatment of crypto assets is an important update, as it was not covered in previous versions. The biggest change is the distinction between crypto assets with an issuer or without an issuer, determining whether they are treated as financial or non-financial assets.
Key changes
- crypto assets with an issuer, like many stable coins, are treated as financial assets with corresponding liabilities
- crypto currencies without an issuer, like Bitcoin, are treated as non-produced non-financial assets
- tokenised versions of traditional financial instruments keep the same classification as the underlying asset
- blockchain technology does not determine the accounting treatment. Instead, it is determined by the underlying economic characteristics of the asset
- mining or validating transactions in some blockchain systems is considered ‘production of services’ and contributes to GDP, like other market production.
Implementation
The latest guidance – the 'Draft Crypto assets compilation guide – is currently undergoing an international consultation. Work is conducted in an EU task force including countries and international organisations.
Further reading
International Community of Macroeconomic Statisticians (ICMStat) – Compilers hub – International Monetary Fund (IMF)