Trends in bank profitabilty and factors affecting it are major indicators of changes in the state of health of national banking systems. These OECD statistics, based on financial statements of banks, provide a unique tool for analysing developments in bank profitability. This database covers 30 OECD countries for the period from 1979 onwards. Some supplementary information on the number of reporting banks, their branches and staff is also included.
Bank Profitability: Methodological Country Notes: 2002 Edition is a complementary publication which comprises the methodological country notes prepared to facilitate the comprehension and the interpretation of the statistics and to provide a brief description of the activities of banks in each country.
The insitutional coverage of the tables has been largely dictated by the availability of data on income and expenditure accounts of banks. National data are grouped and, where necessary, reclassified to fit as far as possible into the OECD standard framework of presentation. As a result of the reporting methods which are being used in OECD countries, the tables are not integrated in the system of national accounts and are, therefore, not compatible with the Financial Accounts of OECD Countries. International comparisons in the field of income and expenditure accounts of banks are particularly difficult due to considerable differences in OECD countries as regards structural and regulatory features of national banking systems, accounting rules and practices, and reporting methods. The series also includes some information on capital adequacy. Refer to Bank Profitability: Financial Statements of Banks - Structure of the Data for further information concerning the standard framework for the collection of statistics by country.
Considering the difficulties that may be encountered in the international comparability of the statistics, methodological country notes were prepared to facilitate the comprehension and the interpretation of the data. In addition, the notes also provide some information on the banking system and the activities of banks in each OECD country.
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