AStA Wirtschafts- und Sozialstatistisches Archiv

The national accounts of the federal states are often used as proof of the success of the economic policy of a federal state. However, the data will be revised considerably after the first publication. As a result, the positioning of the countries in a “growth ranking” changes significantly over time. This article analyzes revisions of the national accounts of the federal states, in the period 2000 to 2017. It shows that the data on GDP are revised more strongly than those on the labor market, so that the productivity derived from them varies greatly in the course of the revision process. All revisions are particularly pronounced in the construction sector. All in all, the evaluation of the revision practice provides information on how the revisions of the national accounts of the federal states could be reduced. For example, more weight should be attached to the labor market information that is less prone to revision and can be allocated better to regions. Furthermore, productivity should be used as control parameter.