Flash Estimate

A flash estimate is an early release of a statistic, published before the full set of responses is in and based on the part of the sample that has already reported. Flash readings of purchasing managers' surveys, euro area inflation and quarterly output are the common examples: the compiler trades coverage for timeliness, then issues a final reading for the same period once the rest arrives. What a flash is not is a different statistic. It measures the same reference period on the same definition, so the final version can move in either direction as the outstanding responses are added, and how large that gap usually is is a property of the series its publisher documents. Calendars normally list flash and final as separate entries, which is why the same month can appear twice.