Current Account Balance in Finland

The part of the balance of payments that records Finland's transactions with the rest of the world in goods and services, primary income (labour and capital) and current transfers. Published by Statistics Finland (or the Bank of Finland), it summarises the country's external current position.

It is the sum of four sub-balances: goods, services, primary income and current transfers. A positive balance means a current-account surplus and a negative one a deficit; it is usually expressed in millions of euros.

The balance can be read as the country's net lending to the rest of the world: a deficit erodes the net external position (more borrowing or fewer reserves) while a surplus improves it. It is a gauge of the competitiveness and external balance of the Finnish economy.

The figures come with almost a two-month lag and are subject to revision; they can also be volatile owing to one-off transactions and Finland's heavy reliance on a small number of large exporters.