
Current Account (% of GDP)
The current account is one of the two components of a country's balance of payments, the other being the capital account. It consists of the trade balance (the difference between the total value of exports of goods and services and the total value of imports of goods and services), the net factor income (difference between the return on investments generated by citizens abroad and payments made to foreign investors domestically) and net cash transfers, where all these elements are measured in the domestic currency.
When a country's current account balance is positive (also known as incurring a surplus), the country is a net lender to the rest of the world. When a country's current account balance is negative (also known as running a deficit), the country is a net borrower from the rest of the world. The ratio of the current account balance to the Gross Domestic Product (or % of GDP) provides an indication of the country’s level of international competitiveness.
The table below shows the current account as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by country for the last five years.
Looking for forecasts? FocusEconomics Consensus Forecasts cover approx. 30 macro-economic indicators per country for a 5-year forecast period and quarterly forecasts for the most important economic variables. Get Details.
Current Account Data
2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Albania | -8.8 | -7.7 | -7.5 | -6.8 | -7.7 |
Algeria | -16.4 | -16.4 | -13.2 | -9.6 | - |
Angola | -8.8 | -3.1 | -0.5 | 6.9 | 6.1 |
Argentina | -2.7 | -2.7 | -4.8 | -5.0 | -0.8 |
Armenia | -2.7 | -2.0 | -3.0 | -9.3 | -8.1 |
Australia | -4.7 | -3.3 | -2.6 | -2.0 | 0.6 |
Austria | 1.7 | 2.7 | 1.6 | 2.3 | 2.6 |
Azerbaijan | -0.4 | -3.6 | 4.1 | 12.8 | 9.1 |
Bahrain | -2.4 | -4.6 | -4.1 | -6.4 | -2.1 |
Bangladesh | 1.8 | 1.9 | -0.5 | -3.5 | -1.7 |
Belarus | -3.1 | -3.4 | -1.7 | 0.0 | -1.8 |
Belgium | 1.3 | 0.6 | 1.2 | -1.3 | -1.3 |
Belize | -10.0 | -8.5 | -7.8 | -8.1 | - |
Bolivia | -5.8 | -5.6 | -4.9 | -4.5 | -3.3 |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | -4.9 | -4.5 | -4.2 | -3.6 | -3.5 |
Botswana | 2.2 | 7.7 | 6.1 | 2.1 | -6.0 |
Brazil | -3.0 | -1.3 | -0.7 | -2.2 | -2.7 |
Brunei | 16.7 | 12.9 | 16.4 | 7.9 | - |
Bulgaria | 0.1 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 1.4 | 4.1 |
Cambodia | -8.9 | -8.6 | -8.2 | -12.3 | -15.8 |
Canada | -3.5 | -3.1 | -2.8 | -2.5 | -2.0 |
Chile | -2.3 | -2.0 | -2.3 | -3.6 | -3.9 |
China | 2.8 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 0.2 | 1.0 |
Colombia | -6.3 | -4.3 | -3.3 | -3.9 | -4.2 |
Costa Rica | -3.5 | -2.2 | -3.4 | -3.3 | -2.5 |
Croatia | 3.1 | 2.2 | 3.9 | 1.7 | 2.8 |
Cyprus | -0.5 | -4.2 | -5.1 | -4.4 | -6.7 |
Czech Republic | 0.2 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 0.6 | - |
DR Congo | - | - | - | - | - |
Denmark | 8.3 | 7.7 | 7.7 | 7.0 | 7.6 |
Dominican Republic | -1.8 | -1.1 | -0.2 | -1.4 | -1.4 |
Ecuador | -2.2 | 1.1 | -0.1 | -1.2 | -0.1 |
Egypt | -3.6 | -6.0 | -6.1 | -2.4 | -3.6 |
El Salvador | -3.2 | -2.3 | -1.9 | -4.7 | -2.1 |
Estonia | 1.8 | 1.7 | 2.7 | 2.0 | 2.8 |
Ethiopia | -10.8 | -8.2 | -7.0 | -5.3 | - |
Eurozone | 2.8 | 3.3 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 2.7 |
Finland | -0.9 | -2.0 | -0.8 | -1.6 | -0.8 |
France | -0.4 | -0.5 | -0.7 | -0.6 | -0.7 |
Georgia | -11.8 | -12.5 | -8.1 | -6.8 | -5.1 |
Germany | 8.5 | 8.5 | 7.7 | 7.5 | 7.0 |
Ghana | -5.9 | -5.2 | -3.4 | -3.2 | -2.5 |
Greece | -0.8 | -1.7 | -1.9 | -2.8 | -1.4 |
Guatemala | -1.2 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 2.4 |
Haiti | -8.6 | -5.5 | -7.6 | -7.4 | - |
Honduras | -4.6 | -2.6 | -0.8 | -5.3 | -0.6 |
Hong Kong | 3.3 | 4.0 | 4.6 | 3.7 | 6.2 |
Hungary | 2.3 | 4.5 | 2.4 | 0.0 | -0.9 |
Iceland | 5.2 | 7.7 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 6.0 |
India | -1.1 | -0.7 | -1.8 | -2.1 | - |
Indonesia | -2.0 | -1.8 | -1.6 | -2.9 | -2.7 |
Iran | 0.3 | 3.9 | 3.4 | - | - |
Iraq | -1.7 | 1.3 | 7.8 | 16.2 | 7.1 |
Ireland | 4.4 | -4.2 | 0.5 | 10.7 | -9.5 |
Israel | 5.2 | 3.6 | 2.4 | 2.6 | 3.6 |
Italy | 1.4 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.5 | 2.9 |
Jamaica | -3.0 | -0.3 | -2.6 | -1.8 | -2.0 |
Japan | 3.1 | 4.0 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 3.6 |
Jordan | -9.2 | -9.8 | -10.8 | -7.0 | -2.8 |
Kazakhstan | -5.0 | -5.8 | -3.1 | -0.1 | -3.6 |
Kenya | -6.8 | -4.9 | -6.2 | -4.9 | -5.0 |
Korea | 7.2 | 6.5 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 3.6 |
Kosovo | -8.5 | -7.9 | -5.2 | -7.6 | - |
Kuwait | 3.5 | -4.6 | 8.0 | 14.5 | - |
Kyrgyzstan | -15.9 | -11.6 | -6.2 | -12.1 | -9.1 |
Laos | -15.8 | -8.8 | -7.5 | -8.0 | -4.7 |
Latvia | -0.9 | 1.4 | 1.0 | -0.7 | -0.5 |
Lebanon | -17.1 | -20.4 | -22.7 | -23.6 | - |
Lithuania | -2.4 | -1.2 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 4.4 |
Luxembourg | 5.1 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.8 | 4.5 |
Malaysia | 3.0 | 2.4 | 2.8 | 2.2 | 3.4 |
Malta | 3.6 | 6.3 | 12.3 | 10.6 | 10.5 |
Mexico | -2.7 | -2.3 | -1.8 | -2.1 | -0.3 |
Moldova | -6.0 | -3.5 | -6.1 | -10.6 | -10.1 |
Mongolia | -8.1 | -6.3 | -10.1 | -16.8 | -15.6 |
Montenegro | -11.0 | -16.3 | -16.2 | -16.8 | -15.4 |
Morocco | -2.1 | -4.0 | -3.4 | -5.3 | -4.1 |
Mozambique | -36.9 | -32.1 | -19.5 | -30.6 | -20.1 |
Myanmar | -3.4 | -4.2 | -6.5 | -4.2 | -2.0 |
Netherlands | 6.2 | 8.0 | 10.8 | 10.8 | - |
New Zealand | -2.8 | -2.0 | -2.7 | -3.8 | -3.0 |
Nicaragua | -8.8 | -6.5 | -4.9 | 0.6 | - |
Nigeria | -3.1 | 0.7 | 2.8 | 0.9 | -3.6 |
North Macedonia | -1.9 | -2.9 | -0.8 | -0.2 | -2.7 |
Norway | 7.7 | 4.0 | 5.7 | 7.2 | 4.0 |
Oman | -16.0 | -19.1 | -15.6 | -5.5 | - |
Pakistan | -1.0 | -1.7 | -4.1 | -6.3 | -4.9 |
Panama | -7.9 | -8.0 | -5.9 | -8.2 | -5.2 |
Paraguay | -0.4 | 3.6 | 3.1 | -0.2 | -1.2 |
Peru | -5.0 | -2.6 | -1.3 | -1.7 | -1.5 |
Philippines | 2.4 | -0.4 | -0.7 | -2.5 | -0.1 |
Poland | -0.6 | -0.5 | 0.0 | -1.0 | 0.5 |
Portugal | 0.2 | 1.2 | 1.4 | -0.6 | - |
Puerto Rico | 7.2 | 9.1 | 7.8 | 9.7 | 7.6 |
Qatar | 8.5 | -5.5 | 3.8 | 8.7 | 2.3 |
Romania | -1.2 | -2.0 | -3.4 | -4.4 | -4.6 |
Russia | 5.0 | 1.9 | 2.1 | 6.8 | 3.8 |
Saudi Arabia | -8.7 | -3.7 | 1.5 | 9.0 | 6.3 |
Serbia | -3.5 | -2.9 | -5.2 | -4.8 | -6.9 |
Singapore | 18.7 | 17.6 | 16.3 | 17.2 | 17.0 |
Slovakia | -1.7 | -2.1 | -2.1 | -2.4 | -2.9 |
Slovenia | 3.8 | 4.8 | 6.3 | 6.1 | 6.6 |
South Africa | -4.6 | -2.9 | -2.5 | -3.5 | -3.0 |
Spain | 2.0 | 3.2 | 2.7 | 1.9 | 2.0 |
Sri Lanka | -2.3 | -2.1 | -2.6 | -3.2 | -2.2 |
Sweden | 4.1 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 2.5 | 4.2 |
Switzerland | 11.3 | 9.9 | 6.4 | 8.2 | 12.2 |
Taiwan | 13.5 | 13.1 | 14.0 | 11.7 | 10.6 |
Tajikistan | -6.9 | -4.2 | 2.3 | -5.0 | -2.3 |
Tanzania | -9.7 | -5.5 | -3.4 | -3.9 | - |
Thailand | 6.9 | 10.5 | 9.6 | 5.6 | 7.0 |
Trinidad and Tobago | 6.9 | -4.4 | 5.3 | 5.8 | - |
Tunisia | -9.0 | -8.6 | -10.3 | -11.2 | -9.0 |
Turkey | -3.2 | -3.1 | -4.8 | -2.7 | 1.2 |
Turkmenistan | -15.6 | -20.2 | -10.4 | 5.5 | - |
USA | -2.2 | -2.3 | -2.3 | -2.4 | -2.3 |
Uganda | -6.2 | -2.8 | -4.5 | -7.2 | -9.5 |
Ukraine | 1.8 | -1.5 | -2.2 | -3.3 | -0.9 |
United Arab Emirates | 4.9 | 3.7 | 7.1 | 9.6 | 7.0 |
United Kingdom | 0.0 | -0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Uruguay | -0.9 | -0.1 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.7 |
Uzbekistan | 1.3 | 0.5 | 2.5 | -7.1 | -5.6 |
Venezuela | -5.6 | -0.4 | 6.1 | 8.7 | - |
Vietnam | -1.1 | 0.3 | -0.7 | 2.5 | - |
Yemen | -9.8 | -3.6 | -0.2 | -1.9 | - |
Zambia | -2.3 | -3.2 | -1.6 | -1.2 | - |
Download Sample Report
Current Account Economic News
-
Turkey: Current account deficit widens less than expected in December
February 12, 2021
The current account deficit widened to USD 3.2 billion in December from USD 2.7 billion in the same month a year prior (November 2020: USD -3.6 billion).
-
Finland: Current account surplus hits multi-year high in December
February 12, 2021
The current account recorded a EUR 2.0 billion surplus in December, increasing from the EUR 1.5 billion surplus recorded in the same month last year and from the EUR 0.4 billion surplus clocked in November.
-
Spain: Current account surplus steady in November 2020
January 29, 2021
Spain’s current account balance recorded a surplus of EUR 3.3 billion in November 2020, matching the result recorded in November 2019 and coming in significantly above October’s EUR 1.3 billion surplus.
Sample Report
Get a sample report showing our regional, country and commodities data and analysis.