Growth

The series of real GNP per capita estimates for the period 1950–74 was obtained from the Cuentas Nacionales published by the Banco Central de Reserva del Perú in various volumes (1950–65,1960–7, 1960–9, 1960–74). For the period 1975–80, we used the series published by the Banco Central in its annual Memorias.

Inflation

The index is the Lima CPI. Published data obtained from the Instituto Nacional de Estadistica were used for the entire period. (The Institute's name changed at various points during the period.)

Growth pattern

The series of manufactures and exports as percentages of GNP were obtained from the same sources that were used for the GNP series. In the case of exports there was no significant discrepancy between the Cuentas Nacionales and the Memorias during the period of superposition in the calculations (1972–4). Thus both series were used as if there were only one. In the case of manufactures there were discrepancies between the sources during 1972–4. The figures which appear in the Cuentas Nacionales are, on average, 83% of the figures in the Memorias. In order to have a long-term series which did not display important methodological changes in the calculations, it was considered appropriate to correct the figures in the Memorias by that coefficient (83%) for 1975–80.

Income distribution

National income and functional distribution

The series of national income and firms' profits were obtained from the Cuentas Nacionales and the Memorias of the Banco Central. Both estimates coincide for the period 1970–4. Thus it was assumed that for the period 1975–80 we could expand the series with the data of the Memorias.