Euro area monthly balance of payments: July 2021

Current account recorded €22 billion surplus in July 2021, unchanged from the previous month
Current account surplus amounted to €320 billion (2.7% of euro area GDP) in 12 months to July 2021, up from €232 billion (2.0%) one year earlier
In financial account, euro area residents’ net acquisitions of non-euro area portfolio investment securities totalled €961 billion and non-residents’ net acquisitions of euro area portfolio investment securities totalled €61 billion in 12 months to July 2021

The current account of the euro area recorded a surplus of €22 billion in July 2021, unchanged from the previous month (Chart 1 and Table 1). Surpluses were recorded for goods (€26 billion), services (€6 billion) and primary income (€3 billion). These were partly offset by a deficit for secondary income (€14 billion).

Dataforthecurrentaccountoftheeuroarea

In the 12 months to July 2021, the current account recorded a surplus of €320 billion (2.7% of euro area GDP), compared with a surplus of €232 billion (2.0% of euro area GDP) in the 12 months to July 2020. This increase was driven by larger surpluses for goods (up from €313 billion to €369 billion), services (up from €40 billion to €87 billion) and primary income (up from €32 billion to €35 billion). These developments were partly offset by a larger deficit for secondary income (up from €153 billion to €171 billion).

In direct investment, euro area residents made net disinvestments of €29 billion in non-euro area assets in the 12-month period to July 2021, following net disinvestments of €97 billion in the 12 months to July 2020 (Chart 2 and Table 2). Non-residents’ net investments in euro area assets increased to €37 billion in the 12-month period to July 2021, up from €30 billion in the 12 months to July 2020.

In portfolio investment, euro area residents’ net purchases of non-euro area equity increased to €546 billion in the 12-month period to July 2021, up from €118 billion in the 12 months to July 2020. Over the same period, net purchases of non-euro area debt securities by euro area residents increased to €415 billion, up from €395 billion in the 12 months to July 2020. Non-residents’ net purchases of euro area equity increased to €261 billion in the 12-month period to July 2021, up from €235 billion in the 12 months to July 2020. Over the same period, non-residents made net sales of euro area debt securities amounting to €200 billion, following net purchases of €200 billion in the 12 months to July 2020.

Dataforthefinancialaccountoftheeuroarea

In other investment, euro area residents recorded net disposals of non-euro area assets amounting to €2 billion in the 12 months to July 2021 (following net acquisitions of €144 billion in the 12 months to July 2020), while their net incurrence of liabilities was €428 billion (following net disposals of €16 billion in the 12 months to July 2020).

The monetary presentation of the balance of payments (Chart 3) shows that the net external assets (enhanced) of euro area MFIs decreased by €70 billion in the 12-month period to July 2021. This decrease was driven by euro area non-MFIs’ net outflows in portfolio investment debt and portfolio investment equity. These developments were partially offset by the current and capital accounts surplus and, to a lesser extent, by euro area non-MFIs’ net inflows in other investment, direct investment and other flows.

In July 2021 the Eurosystem’s stock of reserve assets increased to €888.5 billion, up from €869.0 billion in the previous month (Table 3). This increase was mainly driven by positive changes in the price of gold (€19.3 billion) and, to a lesser extent, by positive exchange rate changes (€0.2 billion), which were partly offset by net disposals of assets (€0.3 billion).