The BIS debt securities statistics are harmonised with the recommendations in the Handbook on Securities Statistics, Part 1 of which sets out an internationally agreed framework for classifying debt securities issues. The data are published quarterly.
In December 2012 the BIS revised the compilation of its debt securities statistics to enhance their comparability across different markets. International issues were re-defined as debt securities issued outside the market where the borrower resides, and total debt securities combining international and domestic issues were released for the first time. The revisions are explained in a special feature in the December 2012 BIS Quarterly Review. The statistics on international equities were also discontinued. While the full history of the statistics was revised, data compiled according to the old methodology are available in the detailed statistical tables published in past editions of the BIS Quarterly Review.
For queries on these tables, please write to statistics$bis.org (where "$" denotes "@").