4.8 Change in inventories

Change in inventories is measured by the change in the value of business firms' and general government's raw materials, work in progress (except buildings) and the physical stocks of completed goods.

In the national accounts inventories are classified into materials and goods (raw materials and semi-finished goods), work in progress, finished goods and goods for resale.

The value of opening and closing inventories is converted to the average price for the year and their difference is the change in inventories. In Finland change in inventories has long been computed for agriculture, manufacturing, trade and commerce, hotels and restaurants and public administration (stockpiles for states of emergency), nowadays they are also computed for construction and for certain business activities.