# National [[accounting|Accounting]] > [!summary] Definition > > - Period-specific > - ex-post description (bookkeeping for an economy) > - of economic market transactions (volunteerism, neighborly help, illicit activies, etc. are not counted) > - by the economic agents of a country (i.e. households, firms, government) > - and with the rest of the world. - Goals - Generating [[macroeconomics|macroeconomic]] data - Analysis of the [[macroeconomics|macro]] situation - Inter-temporal and international comparison - Facilitation of fact-based [[economic-policy]].