This new version contains many new concept definitions which are coded so that they can be used as structural metadata in machine-to-machine statistical exchanges. All existing definitions have been reviewed with improvements to add to clarity and example use cases.

The SDMX Glossary (first version published in February 2016) contains concepts and related definitions used in structural and reference metadata of international organisations and national data-producing agencies. It recommends a common terminology that should be used in order to facilitate communication and understanding. The overall message of the SDMX Glossary is: if a term is used, then its precise meaning should correspond to the Glossary definition, and any reference to a particular phenomenon described in the Glossary should use the appropriate term.