Over the past 25 years, significant New Public Management (NPM) reforms, particularly
towards accrual accounting, have characterized the public sector in many countries. The
diversity in public financial information systems created a need for harmonization,
resulting in the elaboration of the International Public Sector Accounting Standards
(IPSAS). Despite their relevance, little is known on the adoption process of IPSAS.
This study aims to examine to what extent IPSAS(-like) accrual accounting is adopted
in central/local governments worldwide as well as to investigate which factors affect the
differing level of their adoption. Methodologically, a specific questionnaire constructed
to obtain relevant information from local experts was sent worldwide to a sample of
countries. The study reveals an important move to accrual accounting, particularly to
IPSAS accrual accounting, for which there still remains a level of reluctance mainly in
central governments, especially in countries where businesslike accrual accounting has
been developed.