Given the cross regional diversity in financing and health care provision, information on regional health system performance is highly desirable and can permit benchmarking of performance across regions. The decision of the federal authorities to identify and collect a set of 300 commonly defined indicators (72 relate to heath) is a welcome development. It can only be stressed that these data would be even more useful if they were defined and collected in line with international standards, which would permit international as well as inter-regional benchmarking.