Macroeconomics is the study of the economy as a whole, including key topics such as national income, unemployment, inflation, and economic growth. It helps policymakers design fiscal and monetary policies. National income data are important for economic planning and international comparisons of economic development and welfare. National income can be measured using the product, income, and expenditure methods, each of which has limitations due to issues like double-counting, exclusion of non-market activities, and difficulties valuing informal sector output.