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For more information on this release:
E-mail: internationalaccounts@cso.ie Mavo Ralazamahaleo 01 4984259 Annette Hayes 01 4984319
For general information on CSO statistics:
information@cso.ie (+353) 21 453 5000 On-line ISSN 2009-6747
CSO statistical release, , 11am

Resident Holdings of Foreign Portfolio Securities

31 December 2020

    € million
 EquityBonds and NotesMoney Market InstrumentsTotal
2020    
Total1,531,8801,621,287484,3023,637,469
of which:
   United States 614,838426,268145,4751,186,581
   United Kingdom152,408486,07976,350714,837
   France46,89799,13379,318225,348
   Luxembourg 108,23629,2028,245145,683
   Germany43,86561,19823,617128,680

Investment in foreign securities rises to €3.6 trillion at end-2020

Figure 1 Portfolio Investment by Country 31 December 2020
go to full release

The value of Irish residents’ holdings of foreign securities at end-December 2020 amounted to €3,637bn, up €235bn on the 2019 level of €3,402bn. The increase is largely accounted for by increases in equity and money market instruments assets.

Combined investment in US-issued and UK-issued instruments (€1,901bn) accounted for 52.3% of the total stock, up from 51.8% on 2019.

Other points of note from the end-2020 results are:

  • Overall investment in US securities rose by €117bn, but the composition of that investment changed significantly with equity up €99bn, money market instruments up €36bn and bonds & notes down €18bn – see Table 1. Investment funds accounted for 76% of US securities total - the corresponding investment by money market funds increased by €22bn to €115bn - see Table 2.
  • Investment in UK securities rose by €22bn to €715bn, cementing its position as the second most popular investment location. France is still at the third place with investment increasing by €28bn to €225bn.
  • Significant holdings are also shown for Luxembourg (€146bn, up 4.7%), Germany (€129bn, down 4.2%), Netherlands (€122bn, down 3.9%), Italy (€119bn, up 3.3 %) and Japan (€115bn, up 5.5 %).
  • Total investment in investment funds increased by €180bn to €2,449bn – the corresponding total investment in money market funds increased by €15bn to €425bn - see Table 2.

This release also provides analysis by country of issuer and sector of holder (Table 2).  Corresponding data for 2019 are shown including revisions resulting from more recent information.  Overall, the data are compatible in form and content with the data being submitted to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as part of Ireland’s on-going participation in the IMF’s world-wide annual Coordinated Portfolio Investment Survey.  They are also consistent with the portfolio investment stock statistics published on the 2nd September 2021 in the International Accounts Quarter 2 2021 – see Background Notes.  More detailed geographical analysis is available on PxStat.

This map is © Ordnance Survey Ireland. All rights reserved. License number 01/05/001.
Debt Equity
Central
Bank
17.6952447590
Banks51.5453710.44372
Money Market
Funds
425.2367830
Investments
Funds
1211.3398691237.218023526
Insurance
and Pensions
78.024493682219.492349954
Government1.0857928094.079269864
Other320.6612506470.646732219

Central Bank: S121
Banks: S122
Money Market Funds: S123
Investment Funds: S124
Insurance & Pensions: S128/S129
Government: S13
Other: S125/S126/S127/S11/S14/S15

Debt Equity
20181651.9591094.649
20192013.0491389.059
20202105.5891531.88
Table 1 Resident Holdings of Foreign Portfolio Securities1 - by Country of Issuer€ million
Country Equity Bonds and NotesMoney Market Instruments Total
 31 Dec 2019231 Dec 2020 31 Dec 2019231 Dec 2020 31 Dec 2019231 Dec 2020 31 Dec 2019231 Dec 2020
Australia  15,10616,636 13,92814,113 13,9748,306 43,00839,055
Austria  1,5922,015 6,8096,832 1,5883,830 9,98912,677
Belgium  5,7314,887 14,62616,157 12,83613,312 33,19334,356
Bermuda  9,3689,104 3,9864,863 101 13,36413,968
Brazil  9,5197,690 6,0265,002 6527 15,61012,719
Canada  15,43217,162 17,94718,090 26,32515,692 59,70450,944
Cayman Islands  63,75181,149 19,66620,888 1,5131,747 84,930103,784
China 22,90926,596 3,19413,877 2,1551,769 28,25842,242
Denmark  6,92110,065 *9,354 *2,990 15,88522,409
Finland  6,7447,171 4,8235,105 15,77514,579 27,34226,855
France  44,23446,897 91,98599,133 61,24879,318 197,467225,348
Germany  45,82343,865 54,71961,198 33,74623,617 134,288128,680
Hong Kong  13,18811,792 1,8111,942 5862,335 15,58516,069
India  17,19020,043 1,5111,574 00 18,70121,617
Indonesia  3,6093,189 8,4818,250 00 12,09011,439
Italy  42,65944,976 71,11172,647 1,3351,262 115,105118,885
Japan  70,66274,404 18,29419,080 20,12021,593 109,076115,077
Jersey  7,4368,259 *4,174 *28 11,89912,461
Korea, Republic of  18,32125,438 3,1653,659 476171 21,96229,268
Luxembourg  102,927108,236 30,68629,202 5,4848,245 139,097145,683
Mexico 3,5783,268 13,30912,730 23539 17,12216,037
Netherlands 41,71440,780 66,04670,619 19,50010,953 127,260122,352
Norway 5,1105,647 5,9555,909 1,4202,522 12,48514,078
Poland 1,269971 4,4973,398 00 5,7664,369
Portugal 1,5091,285 5,5835,257 123176 7,2156,718
Russian Federation  11,98410,583 15,54614,665 00 27,53025,248
Singapore 4,5283,882 2,2972,482 9,3755,663 16,20012,027
South Africa 6,1875,755 6,2866,055 30648 12,77911,858
Spain 15,46314,185 43,98246,159 3,1241,357 62,56961,701
Sweden 13,86217,019 14,43112,804 10,68914,879 38,98244,702
Switzerland 28,78929,672 6,2177,034 12,48312,348 47,48949,054
Taiwan, Province of China 18,04423,391 2323 00 18,06723,414
Turkey 1,4481,173 4,5493,983 43 6,0015,159
United Kingdom 156,527152,408 454,423486,079 81,96276,350 692,912714,837
United States 515,942614,838 443,882426,268 109,289145,475 1,069,1131,186,581
Other countries 3 39,98337,449 67,48085,656 8,1909,097 115,653132,202
International Organisations 00 17,34417,026 1,0696,570 18,41323,596
Total 1,389,0591,531,880 1,557,3311,621,287 455,719484,302 3,402,1093,637,469
1The figures exclude Reserve Assets (see Background Notes).
2Revised
3This category includes data supplied by respondents without a geographical breakdown.
*Suppressed for confidentiality reasons.
Table 2 Resident Holdings of Foreign Portfolio Securities1 - by Country of Issuer and Sector of Holder€ million
Country Central Bank Banks Money Market Funds Investment Funds Insurance & Pensions Government Other  Total
 S121 S122 S123 S124 S128/9 S13 S125/6/7/11/14/15   
 31 Dec 2019231 Dec 2020 31 Dec 2019231 Dec 2020 31 Dec 2019231 Dec 2020 31 Dec 2019231 Dec 2020 31 Dec 2019231 Dec 2020 31 Dec 2019231 Dec 2020 31 Dec 2019231 Dec 2020 31 Dec 2019231 Dec 2020
Australia 00 ** 14,9568,259 *26,905 1,884* 6356 *787 43,00839,055
Austria 469212 299271 1,1533,485 5,0906,288 1,7211,510 11 1,256910 9,98912,677
Belgium 1,042906 1,3511,522 12,24312,602 ** ** 2219 ** 33,19334,356
Bermuda 00 ** 00 *13,578 515* 11 *0 13,36413,968
Brazil 00 00 00 15,41412,562 196157 00 00 15,61012,719
Canada 781672 9041,278 26,36014,250 ** ** 2316 ** 59,70450,944
Cayman Islands 00 242* 1,4201,635 *99,174 ** 6444 *1,114 84,930103,784
China00 ** 2,1061,640 *39,475 806* 7045 *189 28,25842,242
Denmark 196181 520488 02,179 *17,549 *906 137 *1,099 15,88522,409
Finland 141121 381549 15,41313,893 ** ** 1416 ** 27,34226,855
France 5,3374,790 6,6487,449 55,77974,039 88,265* ** 360349 ** 197,467225,348
Germany 945431 ** 31,28620,525 68,05671,849 19,348* 7585 *12,329 134,288128,680
Hong Kong  00 00 5492,282 *12,617 *1,166 54 *0 15,58516,069
India 00 00 00 18,263* 438* 00 00 18,70121,617
Indonesia 00 00 00 *11,277 *162 00 *0 12,09011,439
Italy 2,1091,901 13,86711,433 160252 42,35544,164 ** 9373 ** 115,105118,885
Japan 00 2,419* 15,98616,628 83,98289,508 4,068* 4637 2,5752,809 109,076115,077
Jersey 00 ** 00 ** 454674 00 ** 11,89912,461
Luxembourg 00 1,175* 4,6725,327 *59,252 70,40068,317 116118 ** 139,097145,683
Mexico 00 *0 410 ** 355* 43 ** 17,12216,037
Netherlands 298253 2,3212,263 19,67810,789 66,63568,047 ** 135134 ** 127,260122,352
Norway 137136 9131,061 1,5462,536 ** ** 22 ** 12,48514,078
Poland 178154 486438 00 ** ** 01 ** 5,7664,369
Portugal255129 1,312* 59121 2,6612,266 336* 109 2,582* 7,2156,718
Korea, Republic of 211184 00 475176 20,134* 992* 00 150* 21,96229,268
Russian Federation 00 *0 00 12,49010,247 167* 00 ** 27,53025,248
Singapore 00 ** 8,9075,466 ** 322324 22 ** 16,20012,027
South Africa 00 *0 00 ** ** 00 ** 12,77911,858
Spain 2,6792,305 5,2754,996 2,170810 31,00229,461 ** 8170 ** 62,56961,701
Sweden 200 1,6261,574 10,17513,780 ** ** 1413 ** 38,98244,702
Switzerland 00 ** 11,59711,841 31,712* *3,750 3313 483* 47,48949,054
Taiwan Province of China 00 00 00 17,34222,468 723944 22 00 18,06723,414
Turkey 00 0* 00 5,9315,107 70* 00 00 6,0015,159
United Kingdom 00 6,5774,001 74,17274,451 472,577485,838 ** 1,6381,466 ** 692,912714,837
United States 00 *1,425 93,031114,902 828,260906,660 *46,206 2,4322,468 *114,920 1,069,1131,186,581
Other countries3160153 ** 5,2026,628 93,325108,588 ** 98111 ** 115,653132,202
International Organisations5,9385,167 2,7403,535 1,3286,741 5,8816,708 722478 00 1,804967 18,41323,596
Total 20,89617,695 57,20751,989 410,464425,237 2,268,7342,448,558 288,361297,517 5,4175,165 351,030391,308 3,402,1093,637,469
1The figures exclude Reserve Assets (see Background Notes).
2Revised.
3This category includes data supplied by respondents without a geographical breakdown.
*Suppressed for confidentiality reasons.

Background Notes

This release updates the annual (end-December) series on foreign portfolio asset stock statistics introduced in October 2003. These figures result from the CSO’s ongoing participation in the annual Co-ordinated Portfolio Investment Survey (CPIS) conducted by the IMF. The information is compiled on the basis of the IMF’s methodological recommendations described in its Co-ordinated Portfolio Investment Survey Guide. This methodology is designed to harmonise the timing and valuation conventions used by all countries participating in the survey. The results are conceptually consistent with the International Investment Position (IIP) statistics on foreign assets published by the CSO. Therefore, the compilation methodology, which is designed to meet the recommendations of the IMF’s Balance of Payments Manual - 6th Edition (BPM6) concerning compilation of international investment position statistics, is essentially the same for both series.

The CPIS is concerned with portfolio investment stock statistics for equities and long-term (i.e. bonds and notes) and short-term (i.e. money market instruments) debt securities. The results are classified by country of issue of the securities and are also cross-classified by type of financial instrument, and by sector of holder.

For more detailed information see Resident Holdings Of Foreign Portfolio Securities

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