Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Statistics

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Canonical URL: Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Statistics

Session No.: OL 24.131
Location: Course conducted online
Date: May 1, 2024 - April 15, 2025 (50 weeks)
Delivery Method: Online Training
Primary Language: French
Qualifications: Some knowledge of economics and statistics or equivalent experience is helpful. Access to a computer with a reliable Internet connection and a Google Chrome web browser are essential.

The course is for those interested in learning the fundamentals of compiling international accounts that cover balance of payments and international investment position (IIP) statistics according to internationally accepted standards.
It is a basic-level course laying the foundation for the intermediate balance of payments and IIP statistics course.
It is open to those who compile, or plan to compile, balance of payments and IIP statistics and to the general public.

The course, presented by the Statistics Department, covers the fundamentals needed to compile the international accounts.
Introduces the conceptual statistical framework for balance of payments and IIP as presented in the Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Statistics Manual, sixth edition (BPM6), which is harmonized with other macroeconomic statistical frameworks.
Topics covered include:
- The current, capital, and financial account balances and how they reflect an economy's interaction with the rest of the world.
- Basic concepts, definitions, and classifications, along with principal accounting rules (including valuation and time of recording) relevant for compilation of the international accounts.
- Functional categories, including direct investment.
- The need for integration of the balance of payments with the IIP for compiling comprehensive, internationally comparable statistics.

Upon completion of the course, participants should be able to:

Explain the international accounts framework of the balance of payments and IIP and relevant indicators, such as the current, capital, and financial accounts balances, and net IIP.
Apply core concepts and definitions relevant to the international accounts such as residence, economic territory, predominant center of economic interest, and accounting rules.
Classify cross-border transactions and positions according to the international standards in BPM6.
Record the main components of the current account, including goods, services, primary income, and secondary income, as well as the capital account.
Identify transactions in financial assets and liabilities and their link to investment income.
Explain the direct investment framework and its role in the economy, including as a source of financing.
Compare the different functional categories and understand the economic interpretation for each category.
Recognize the need for integration of the balance of payments with the IIP for producing consistent and coherent data.