Italian National Accounts Revisited (1951-1970)

The research presented here is part of a wider project of revision of historical national accounts in Italy between 1891 and 1970. The reconstruction for 1951-1970 relies on a previous estimate of inter-sectoral (input-output) matrix for 1951 and on a new estimate of inter-sectoral matrix for 1970. For that year, the last "pillar" on which this reconstruction is based, the reconstruction of level of national accounts aggregates is carried out, while keeping consistency with the figures estimated in the previous "pillar years", both in terms of classification of economic activities and with reference to the accounting scheme (ISTAT 65). Starting from values pinned down in the pillar years, value added for 15 branches and GDP uses are computed for each year under the constraint of two other inter-sectoral matrices in 1959 and 1965. Annual data between pillars are estimated with Denton's interpolation method, using as reference series the growth rates of original series from ISTAT.