Data Appendix
In order to construct market value data a number of different data sources were used and
approximations required. The following summarises these calculations.
Australia 1980-2000. The outstanding debt series used was provided by the Reserve Bank of
Australia and is non-official holdings of marketable commonwealth government securities. The
maturity series was also provided by the RBA. Yield data was from the Global Financial Database.
Coupons were estimated as gross general government interest payments (SourceOECD) divided by
gross general government debt.
Austria 1980-2000. The outstanding value of government debt is from the OECD as is the
maturity data (Central Government Statistical Yearbook). The yield is taken from Global Finan-
cial Database and the coupon is estimated as gross interest payments (OECD) divided by gross
outstanding debt.
Belgium 1980-2000. The data is constructed as above and was also calculated using Missale’s
(1999) maturity data.
Canada 1980-2000 As above.
Germany 1980-2000. As above.
Ireland 1980-2000 As above but using Missale’s (1999) maturity data updated with information
supplied by Central Bank of Ireland.
Italy 1980-2000 As for Belgium.
Netherlands 1980-2000 As above.
Norway 1982-2000 As above.
UK 1980-2000 As above but where the outstanding value of debt is supplied by the Debt
Management Office.
US 1980-2000 As for Belgium.
All macroeconomic data was taken from the OECD’s SourceOECD database and all data series
are converted into real terms by dividing by the GDP deflator. The data is net central government
debt and includes foreign currency debt, fixed and variable rate debt as well as nominal and indexed
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