The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) released today (June 21) the preliminary Balance of Payments (BoP) and International Investment Position (IIP) statistics of Hong Kong for the first quarter of 2024. This release also included the preliminary External Debt (ED) statistics of Hong Kong for the same period.
I. Balance of Payments
Hong Kong recorded a BoP deficit of $35.5 billion (4.6% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP)) in the first quarter of 2024. Reserve assets correspondingly decreased by the same amount. This compared with a BoP deficit of $9.1 billion (1.1% of GDP) in the fourth quarter of 2023.
Current account
The current account recorded a surplus of $101.0 billion (13.1% of GDP) in the first quarter of 2024. This reflects that Hong Kong's savings was greater than its investment, enabling Hong Kong to accumulate external financial assets (such as equity securities or debt securities) as a buffer against global financial volatilities. Compared with the current account surplus of $44.4 billion (6.2% of GDP) in the first quarter of 2023, the increase in surplus was mainly due to the decrease in goods deficit and the increase in net inflow of primary income.
The goods deficit decreased substantially to $6.7 billion in the first quarter of 2024, compared with $37.8 billion in the same quarter of 2023. Over the same period, the services surplus increased from $46.6 billion to $50.9 billion. The primary income inflow and outflow amounted to $494.9 billion and $433.6 billion respectively, thus yielding a net inflow of $61.3 billion in the first quarter of 2024, compared with a net inflow of $39.4 billion in the same quarter of 2023.
Financial account
An overall increase in financial non-reserve assets amounting to $170.8 billion (22.2% of GDP) was recorded in the first quarter of 2024, compared with an overall increase of $46.5 billion (5.9% of GDP) in the fourth quarter of 2023. The overall increase recorded in the first quarter of 2024 was due to the net increases in portfolio investment, financial derivatives and direct investment, partly offset by the net decrease in other investment.
In the first quarter of 2024, reserve assets decreased by $35.5 billion, compared with a decrease of $9.1 billion in the fourth quarter of 2023.
II. International Investment Position
At the end of the first quarter of 2024, both Hong Kong's external financial assets and liabilities stood at a very high level, amounting to $49,051.1 billion (16.2 times of GDP) and $34,990.2 billion (11.5 times of GDP) respectively, a typical feature of a prominent international financial centre.
Hong Kong's net external financial assets (i.e. assets minus liabilities) amounted to $14,060.9 billion (4.6 times of GDP) at the end of the first quarter of 2024, compared with $13,939.4 billion (4.7 times of GDP) at the end of the fourth quarter of 2023. Hong Kong's net external financial assets to GDP ratio is one of the largest in the world, which provides the economy with a strong cushion against sudden external shocks.
III. External Debt
At the end of the first quarter of 2024, Hong Kong's gross ED amounted to $14,409.5 billion (4.8 times of GDP). Compared with $14,362.4 billion (also 4.8 times of GDP) at the end of the fourth quarter of 2023, gross ED increased by $47.1 billion. This was mainly attributable to the increases in ED of other sectors and debt liabilities in direct investment (intercompany lending), partly offset by the decrease in ED of the banking sector.
As one of the world's major financial centres, Hong Kong has a significant amount of ED held against the local banking sector arising through normal banking businesses. At the end of the first quarter of 2024, 56.0% of Hong Kong's ED was attributable to the banking sector. Other ED mainly consisted of ED of other sectors (26.7%) and debt liabilities in direct investment (intercompany lending) (16.3%).
Further information
BoP is a statistical statement that systematically summarises, for a specific time period (typically a year or a quarter), the economic transactions of an economy with the rest of the world (i.e. between residents and non-residents).
IIP is a balance sheet showing the stock of external financial assets and liabilities of an economy at a particular time point. The difference between the external financial assets and liabilities is the net IIP of the economy, which represents either its net claim on or net liability to the rest of the world.
Gross ED, at a particular time point, is the outstanding amount of those actual current, and not contingent, liabilities that are owed to non-residents by residents of an economy and that require payment of principals and / or interests by the debtors at some time points in the future.
Table 1 presents Hong Kong's BoP. Table 2 presents the detailed current account and capital account, while Table 3 presents the detailed financial account. Table 4 shows Hong Kong's IIP, and Table 5 shows Hong Kong's ED.
Statistics on BoP, IIP and ED for the first quarter of 2024 are preliminary figures, which are subject to revision upon the availability of more data.
The latest statistical tables of BoP (including seasonally adjusted current account), IIP and ED can be downloaded at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/scode260.html). Analysis of the statistics, together with the conceptual and methodological details, are presented in the publication Balance of Payments, International Investment Position and External Debt Statistics of Hong Kong, First Quarter 2024 published by the C&SD. Users can download the publication at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1040001&scode=260).
For enquiries about the BoP, IIP and ED statistics, please contact the Balance of Payments Section of the C&SD (Tel: 3903 6979 or email: bop@censtatd.gov.hk).
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