Everyone wants the maximum possible growth, although today that the preference is for “durable” or “sustainable” growth. The generic term “growth” indicates the overall change in the quantity of goods and services produced and made available to consumers and investors. The prime task of national accounts is to separate out, within the change in the observed monetary aggregates, the part of growth that stems from a change in quantities from the part that is due to a change in prices. An increase in quantities or, as the national accountants would say, in “volumes” is generally a good thing. A rise in prices, known as inflation, is not generally good news. A change in a monetary aggregate has accordingly very limited interest in the national accounts. However, it takes on economic significance when, to use the national accountants’ jargon, one carries out its “volume/price breakdown”. This is why this highly technical chapter comes first, even before those on output and final uses.