Balance-of-payments statistics adapted to IMF and EU standards

Balance-of-payments statistics adapted to IMF and EU standards

As of today, the presentation of Sweden's balance of payments is based on new principles; the statistics have been adapted to current IMF and EU standards. These international requirements entail far-reaching changes to central balance-of-payments concepts and definitions. In its new guise, the balance of payments has three main components:

- Current account
- Capital account
- Financial account

The current account is now concentrated to current transactions; transactions that have more to do with financial flows (e.g. debt forgiveness and investment grants) have been excluded and assigned instead to the new capital account. The financial account corresponds to the former capital account.

Earlier statistical series have been revised to enable retrospective comparisons. These revisions concern the current and capital accounts for the period 1992-September 1997. In addition to the revisions occasioned by altered definitions, corrections have been made for certain shortcomings that were detected in the course of the adaptation.

To see new balance-of-payments figures, please open the Word-file.

For further information please contact the Financial and Statistics Departement:
Gunnar Blomberg, Deputy Head of Departement, telephone: +46 8 787 01 46
Anna Mitteregger, Methodology and Publication Unit, telephone: +46 8 787 01 67
Magnus Lomakka, Methodology and Publication Unit, telephone: +46 8 787 01 82.