Open in Excel:
Current account balance of €7.1bn in Quarter 4 2020
The Balance of Payments current account, a measure of Ireland’s economic flows with the rest of the world, showed a surplus of €7.1bn in the fourth quarter of 2020. Quarter on quarter shows a marked increase in both Computer services exports and Royalty imports.
null
| Current Account |
Q3 2018 | 12.9536795807672 |
Q4 2018 | -15.8463385447228 |
Q1 2019 | 10.7772509840293 |
Q2 2019 | -38.3864861688368 |
Q3 2019 | 12.452669962882 |
Q4 2019 | -30.7250927111529 |
Q1 2020 | -15.9650920719409 |
Q2 2020 | 14.1043746942574 |
Q3 2020 | 12.9415629599027 |
Q4 2020 | 7.52991668857651 |
---|
normal
| Merchandise | Services | Primary Income | Secondary Income | Balance on Current Account |
Q3 2018 | 27.258 | 1.279 | -16.675 | -0.846 | 11.016 |
Q4 2018 | 25.418 | -18.214 | -19.753 | -0.808 | -13.357 |
Q1 2019 | 30.224 | -0.079 | -19.668 | -1.324 | 9.153 |
Q2 2019 | 28.1 | -38.931 | -21.111 | -0.66 | -32.602 |
Q3 2019 | 31.604 | 0.996 | -20.096 | -0.895 | 11.609 |
Q4 2019 | 29.197 | -37.317 | -19.751 | -0.693 | -28.564 |
Q1 2020 | 34.409 | -28.156 | -19.728 | -1.081 | -14.557 |
Q2 2020 | 33.374 | -0.788 | -19.916 | -1.008 | 11.663 |
Q3 2020 | 36.82 | 5.57 | -28.935 | -0.751 | 12.705 |
Q4 2020 | 34.159 | -5.561 | -20.417 | -1.068 | 7.113 |
---|
Other points of note in the Quarter 4 2020 results are:
Current account (see Table 1.3)
- Merchandise exports were €62,101m in the fourth quarter of 2020, an increase of €2,953m compared with the fourth quarter of 2019. Merchandise imports were €27,942m in the fourth quarter of 2020, a decrease of €2,009m over the same period in 2019.
- Service exports at €71,689m increased by €9,090m compared to the fourth quarter of 2019, mainly due to higher Computer services exports (which increased by €6,691m).
- Service imports at €77,250m were down €22,667m over the same period in 2019, mainly due to lower R&D related IP imports.
- Ireland’s trade balance at €28,598m, all goods and services exports less all goods and services imports, increased by €36,719m in the fourth quarter of 2020 over the same period in 2019.
- Investment income earned abroad at €21,377m, decreased by €3,918m compared with one year earlier while investment income payable to foreign investors at €41,970m decreased by €3,434m. The overall income balance for the quarter at -€21,485m decreased by €1,041m compared with the same period in 2019.
normal
| Direct Investment | Portfolio Investment | Other Investment | Reserve Assets | Balance on Financial Account |
Q3 2018 | 15.206 | 8.493 | -15.738 | 0.209 | 8.17 |
Q4 2018 | -21.605 | 25.783 | -62.669 | 0.578 | -57.913 |
Q1 2019 | 6.121 | 10.265 | -5.096 | 0.002 | 11.291 |
Q2 2019 | -56.32 | -9.936 | 9.38 | 0.121 | -56.754 |
Q3 2019 | -5.398 | -6.617 | 16.685 | 0.125 | 4.795 |
Q4 2019 | -31.71 | 35.461 | -29.574 | 0.181 | -25.641 |
Q1 2020 | -14.702 | -83.137 | 73.562 | 0.138 | -24.138 |
Q2 2020 | -67.348 | 82.309 | -17.006 | 0.019 | -2.027 |
Q3 2020 | 3.497 | 10.736 | -11.888 | 0.695 | 3.041 |
Q4 2020 | 5.974 | 21.36 | -15.03 | 0.396 | 12.7 |
---|
Financial account (see Tables 1.4 and 1.5)
- Direct investment in Ireland decreased by €19,869m in the fourth quarter of 2020. This was due to increased reinvested earnings of €16,866m and other capital of €1,695m which were offset by decreased equity investment of €38,430m. Direct investment abroad decreased by €13,895m in the quarter, mainly due to decreased equity investment €8,212m and other capital investment abroad of €8,796m.
- Portfolio investment in foreign assets increased by €145,097m in the quarter. Investment in foreign equity increased by €55,953m while investment in foreign debt instruments increased by €89,145m. Portfolio investment in Ireland increased by €123,737m, mainly due to increased purchase of Irish equity of €104,946m and Irish debt of €18,791m.
- Other investment assets and liabilities increased by €37,373m and €52,403m respectively in the fourth quarter of 2020.
Table 1.2 Summary of Current, Capital and Financial Account Balances
Table 1.3 Current and Capital Accounts
Table 1.4 Financial Account
Table 1.5 Current, Capital and Financial Accounts showing IFSC and Non-IFSC activity
Table 1.6 Current and Capital Accounts showing geographical detail
Table 1.7 Financial Account showing geographical detail
Next Chapter >> Goods and Services