The publication " Main Economic Indicators" (MEI) presents comparative statistics that provide an overview of recent international economic developments.

This source of key short-term statistics is a vehicle for analysis for corporate planners, economists, academics, researchers and students. Using the most up-to-date, user-friendly graphical and tabular presentation, the indicators cover national accounts, business surveys and consumer opinions, leading indicators, retail sales, production, construction, prices, employment, unemployment, wages, finance, foreign trade and balance of payments.

The MEI is a monthly publication: timetable

Countries covered: 5 area totals and selected non-member countries

>> Database

Download data from OECD.Stat Extracts. They are updated on a daily basis.

• Balance of Payments
• Business Tendency and Consumer Opinion Surveys
• Composite Leading Indicators 
• Financial Statistics
• Industry
• International Trade
• Labour Force Statistics 
• Price Indices
• Producer Price Indices 
• Purchasing Power Parities (PPP)
• Quarterly National Accounts

See also the MEI Original Release Data and Revisions Database which provides access to originally published data and revisions analysis studies for key economic variables.

>> Methodological information

The statistics published in MEI are accompanied by extensive statistical methodological information that outline the principal subjects covered in the MEI and current national practices in the compilation of each indicator. This information is designed to enable users to have a better understanding of the data. In addition, a range of other methodological reports relating to the statistics published in the MEI are also available.

• Electronically available national practices for individual countries by subject (updated in real time);
• MEI publication inventory
• MEI database notes
• Glossary of statistical terms derived from those international standards;  

>> How to obtain this publication

• For subcribers to the OECD iLibrary the WebBook is available at
  http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/22195009 and the full database at http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/mei-data-en
• Readers can purchase the book in PDF, paper copy and/or CDRom via the OECD Online Bookshop.
• Government officials can access the online database and the book in PDF e-book via OLISnet.