David Bailey

David Bailey is a senior economist in the Government Finance Division of the IMF's Statistics Department since 2019, bringing a unique blend of expertise from his decade-long tenure as Deputy Director for the Public Sector Division at the UK's Office for National Statistics, where he managed the compilation and dissemination of the UK's public sector finance statistics. His academic foundation in Natural Sciences with a Masters Degree in Physics from the University of Cambridge, combined with his experience in computational physics, provides him with a distinctive analytical perspective in his current role. As a fellow of the UK's Royal Statistical Society, Bailey has successfully transitioned through various statistical domains, including seven years in education statistics before specializing in government finance and public sector debt statistics. His contributions at the IMF include providing technical assistance and training on government finance statistics and public sector debt statistics across multiple countries in Africa, Asia, and Europe, helping nations enhance their fiscal reporting capabilities and align with international statistical standards. His work encompasses developing bridge tables between national budget codes and international statistical standards, demonstrating his commitment to improving global financial reporting practices and statistical methodologies.