Series page and update information
On this page
Every time series in the database has its own page. It shows the data as a chart and a table, the metadata, the publication (update) information and the revision history.
Metadata
| Field | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Title and description | In the interface language. The State Data Agency and the Bank of Lithuania publish Lithuanian titles themselves; the Lithuanian titles of the international sources are MacroLens translations of the source's English title. The title in the other language (in the Lithuanian interface: the source's original English title) is shown under the page heading |
| Source and dataset | The official source and the code of its table or dataflow, with a link to the source page |
| Frequency | Annual (A), semi-annual (S), quarterly (Q), monthly (M), weekly (W), daily (D) |
| Unit | E.g. EUR million, %, index (2015 = 100) |
| Region and category | Country or aggregate region and the Technical Specification category |
| Seasonal adjustment | Whether the source publishes seasonally adjusted data (e.g. NSA — not adjusted, SA — seasonally adjusted, SCA — seasonally and calendar adjusted) |
| Period | First and last observation, number of observations |
| Key | The unique series identifier, e.g. ESTAT/namq_10_gdp/Q.CLV10_MEUR.SCA.B1GQ.LT — used in formulas (S("…")) and in the Excel add-in |
| Dimensions | Codes and labels of the source classifications (e.g. unit, seasonal adjustment, indicator) |
Publication (update) information
Every series shows:
- Published (updated) by the source — when the source last updated the data (as stated by the source; marked when the source only states an update time for the whole dataset);
- Last updated in MacroLens — when this series last changed in the MacroLens database (new observations added or earlier ones revised);
- Last checked at the source — when MacroLens last checked whether the source had updated the data;
- Next release at the source — the expected date of the next update, where the source publishes a release calendar.
All times are shown in Vilnius time. Some sources publish only the date of an update, without a time of day (State Data Agency, World Bank; FAOSTAT and the Bank of Lithuania for some datasets) — for them only the date is shown, never an invented time. MacroLens' own times (last updated, last checked) always show hours and minutes. After the source updates a series, the updated data is in the MacroLens database within 24 hours at the latest (see Data sources and update policy).
When the source no longer updates a series (e.g. the indicator was discontinued) it is marked as discontinued; the historical data remains available.
Revisions
Statistical agencies often revise previously published data. Each time a series changes, MacroLens records:
- the date of the change and the source publication date,
- how many observations were added, revised and removed,
- examples of revised values (old and new value).
This lets you see how the data changed and explain differences between earlier and new calculations.
Chart and table
In the chart on the page you can choose the displayed period; the table shows all values. Zoom into the chart by selecting an area with the mouse; double-click to return to the full view. Hover over a point to see the exact value and period.
Observation flags and forecasts
The Flag column of the table shows the observation flags published by the source; the legend under the table explains the flags that occur. Sources write the same flag in upper or lower case — the meaning is the same:
| Flag | Meaning |
|---|---|
| P | provisional |
| E | estimated |
| F | forecast or projection |
| B | break in time series |
| D | definition differs |
| U | low reliability |
Other flags used by some sources (e.g. R revised, C confidential) are explained in the legend as well. Forecast and projection periods (flag F, e.g. the IMF WEO or European Commission AMECO forecast years) are shown as a dashed line in the chart and in italics in the table, in the analysis table view and in Excel downloads.
Source attribution
Under every series the source's attribution and licence notice is shown (for example the ECB's notice that its statistics may be obtained free of charge at data.ecb.europa.eu). The same notice is included in the chart note and in every download (XLSX, CSV, JSON, Word, PowerPoint). Series you transform, combine or edit in an analysis are labelled “Calculated by MacroLens from … data” — they are not the original source data. All licences: Licences and attributions.
Actions
- Add to analysis — adds the series to a new or existing analysis, where you can apply operations, compare it with other series and save your work.
- Download — the data as Excel (XLSX), CSV or JSON (all or the selected period), the chart as a PNG image.
- Refreshable Excel workbook — an Excel file with a Power Query query that refreshes the series when the file is opened (see Excel).
- Copy data — values to the clipboard so you can paste them, e.g. into Excel; Copy key — the series key for formulas or the Excel add-in.
- Print — the page is print-ready (Ctrl+P in the browser).
- Report a problem — if the data looks wrong; the report form automatically includes the series key.