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Concepts

The balance of payments (BOP) is a statistical statement that summarises an economy’s transactions with the rest of the world. Specifically, it records all transactions between residents and non-residents that result in a change of economic ownership. A resident, in this sense, is a person or company that has been registered in a country for more than a year.

Transactions are recorded in 3 different accounts, namely the current account, the capital account, and the financial account. In theory, the sum of the balances of the current and capital account should be equal to the balance of the financial account. The current and capital account balance determines an economy’s exposure to the rest of the world, while the financial account explains how it is financed.

Data releases

Please consult our online release calendar or the  publication timetable for 2025 to find out when data will be updated in the online database.

International trade in services 

Data are available by detailed geographical partner and type of service. They are reported in millions of euro.

For more information, please refer to the metadata on  international trade in services.

Direct investments 

Data are available for direct investment positions, income, and flows. They are broken down by detailed geographical partners and economic activity. For additional information, please consult the dedicated page on globalisation of businesses.

Further statistical information