National accounts are economic tools used to measure aggregate production,
income, and expenditures within a country’s economy. Their origins trace back to
the early 20th century, primarily driven by governments’ need to accurately
monitor economic changes, especially during significant crises like the Great
Depression of 1929. The development of national accounting was significantly
influenced after World War Il, thanks in part to economist John Maynard Keynes,
who proposed economic measurement methods that would aid governments in
setting effective economic policies.
