Balance of payments and international investment position

The balance of payments measures transactions between residents and non-residents, i.e. between economic agents (banks, companies, households, general government offices) that perform their activities on the national territory and those that perform their activities abroad. The balance of payments presents current transactions and financial transactions. Current transactions represent economic transactions, i.e. trade in goods and services and income transfers. The current account balance indicates our economy’s ability to balance its economic exchange with the rest of the world. Financial transactions stem from resident economic agents’ financial operations with foreign countries. They consist of direct investment, portfolio investment, financial derivatives transactions, other investment and reserve assets. The financial account balance represents the counterparty of the current account balance.

The net international investment position represents the French residents’ net wealth vis-à-vis the rest of the world. When the net international investment position is negative, it means that French residents received more capital flows from foreign countries (in the form of debt or capital investment, mainly) than they invested abroad.

The balance of payments and the international investment position are compiled by Banque de France. The balance of payments is published monthly, and then revised quarterly on the basis of more comprehensive information. Once a year, an annual report presents detailed results.

Since 2014, European countries have compiled their balance of payments and their international investment position in accordance with the IMF 6th Manual (BPM6). Banque de France has implemented this methodology since the publication of the January 2014 balance of payments. see methodology:

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