Estimates of quarterly GDP growth using MIDAS regressions

This paper provides new estimates of year-to-year quarterly real GDP growth in Suriname for 2013Q1 to 2018Q4. The methodology to arrive at these estimates consists of the following steps. Using the familiar Chow and Lin method, the available annual data are disaggregated into a first round of quarterly data. The quarterly data are then included in a MIDAS model, which links the quarterly observations with a new but well established monthly observed indicator of economic activity. The best-performing MIDAS model is then used to update the initial estimates of quarterly GDP growth to final estimates, which in turn can be used in macro-economic modelling and analysis.