The Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS) is used to guide member countries in the dissemination of comprehensive, timely, accessible and reliable economic and financial statistical data.

The SDDS comprises four dimensions: (a) coverage, periodicity and timeliness of data; (b) access by the public; (c) integrity of the disseminated data; and (d) quality of the disseminated data. For each of the four dimensions, the SDDS prescribes good practices that can be observed, or monitored, by users of statistics.

Comprehensive economic and financial statistical data, disseminated on a timely basis, are essential to the transparency of macroeconomic performance and policy.

To date, there have been 71 subscriptions to the SDDS.

(Source: www.imf.org)