Meginmál

Current account deficit 95.2 b.kr. in Q4/2024 – net IIP positive by 42.5% of GDP

The current account deficit measured 95.2 b.kr. in Q4/2024. This represents a deterioration of 147.4 b.kr. relative to the previous quarter and 77.7 b.kr. relative to Q4/2023. There was a deficit on goods trade in the amount of 104.1 b.kr and a 34.5 b.kr. surplus on services trade. The deficit on primary income was 10.5 b.kr., and the deficit on secondary income was 15.1 b.kr.

Table 1. Balance of payments

B.kr.2023/42024/12024/22024/32024/4

Current account balance 

-17,5

-34,6

-39,3

52,3

-95,2

     Balance on goods

-77,8

-51,6

-87,2

-71,6

-104,1

     Balance on services 

34,1

18,1

67,9

141,2

34,5

     Balance on primary income

39,1

10,2

-5,4

-4,9

-10,5

     Secondary income, net

-13,0

-11,3

-14,6

-12,4

-15,1

Capital account

-1,4

-0,8

-1,4

-0,4

-1,2

Financial account

-4,2

35,9

-40,9

65,8

79,4

     Direct investment

21,3

9,0

-16,4

-18,1

15,7

     Portfolio investment 

96,0

-191,6

105,4

27,5

109,6

     Derivatives

-3,7

0,1

1,5

-2,8

-3,6

     Other investments

-121,8

98,5

-110,1

69,1

-52,3

     International reserves

4,0

119,8

-21,4

-9,9

9,9

Net errors and omissions

14,7

71,3

-0,3

14,0

175,7

At the end of Q4, the net international investment position was positive by 1,963 b.kr., or 42.5% of GDP. It improved by 120 b.kr., or 2.6% of GDP, during the quarter. External assets totalled 6,549 b.kr. at the end of the quarter, and external liabilities were 4,586 b.kr. The position improved by 79 b.kr. during the quarter, owing to financing activities. Foreign assets increased by 140 b.kr. and foreign liabilities by 61 b.kr. Price and exchange rate movements during the quarter increased asset values by 21 b.kr. and reduced the value of liabilities by 30 b.kr., thereby yielding an improvement of 51 b.kr. in the net external position. The króna appreciated during the quarter by just under 3.5% in terms of the trade-weighted index. Prices in foreign securities markets fell by 0.4% between quarters, and prices in the domestic stock market rose by 16.3%

Table 2. Quarter-on-quarter change in international investment position

Position at end-Q3/2024Financial accountExchange rate and price changes Other changes Position at end-Q4/2024

b.kr.

Foreign assets, total

6,383

140

21

5

6,549

     Direct investment 

1,062

27

-26

20

1,083

     Portfolio investment

3,687

144

82

0

3,912

     Derivatives*

16

-4

4

1

17

     Other investments

720

-37

-16

-16

650

     International reserves

899

10

-23

0

886

Foreign liabilities, total

4,540

61

-30

15

4,586

     Direct investment

1,750

11

-5

9

1,765

     Portfolio investment 

1,528

35

-17

0

1,545

     Derivatives*

10

0

-1

0

11

     Other investments

1,253

15

-9

6

1,264

Net international investment position (NIIP) 

1,843

79

51

-10

1,963

% of GDP 

39.9%

1.7%

1.1% 

-0.2% 

42.5%