About the BIS international banking statistics

Under the auspices of the Committee on the Global Financial System, the BIS compiles and publishes two sets of statistics on international banking activity:

• Locational banking statistics
  
  
  The locational statistics provide information about the currency and geographical composition of banks' balance sheets. They capture outstanding claims and liabilities of banking offices located in the BIS reporting countries, including positions between related offices. The locational statistics are compiled using principles that are consistent with balance of payments. The availability of a currency breakdown facilitates the calculation of exchange-rate adjusted changes in amounts outstanding, as an approximation for flows.
• Consolidated banking statistics
  The consolidated statistics provide information about banks' risk exposures, in particular country risk. They capture the worldwide consolidated claims of banks headquartered in the BIS reporting countries, including claims of their own foreign affiliates but excluding positions between related offices. They build on measures used by banks in their internal risk management systems.

Both sets of statistics are reported to the BIS at a country rather than individual bank level. Central banks collect data from the banks in their jurisdiction, compile national aggregates, and then send the national data to the BIS to calculate global aggregates.

The international banking statistics are published by the BIS on a quarterly basis, with a lag of no more than 17 weeks. A release calendar provides advance notice of publication dates. Preliminary data are published in January, April, July and October together with a statistical commentary. Revised data are published in March, June, September and December in conjunction with in-depth analysis of the latest data in the BIS Quarterly Review.

The Guidelines for reporting the BIS international banking statistics provide definitions and requirements for the reporting of the locational and consolidated banking statistics. The consistency of reporting practices with the guidelines varies across countries, and key discrepancies are highlighted in countries' summaries of their banks' reporting practices.

The following publications provide further information about the structure and uses of the BIS international banking statistics.

• Improving the BIS international banking statistics, CGFS publications no 47, November 2012
• The BIS consolidated banking statistics: structure, uses and improvements, BIS Quarterly Review, September 2005
• Report of the Working Group on the BIS International Banking Statistics, CGFS publications no 15, September 2000