Here information is provided on transactions between the Netherlands and the rest of the world, and on claims which the Netherlands has on the rest of the world and vice versa. Amongst others you will find the Balance of payments (Table 12.1), an overview of all transactions between residents and non-residents during a certain period. Not included in this table are transactions  of Special Financial Institutions (SFIs) because such institutions are subsidiaries of foreign parent companies used to channel capital through our country, which has little influence on the Dutch economy (Table 12.13 presents the Balance of Payments including SFIs).

In theory, income and expenses are matched: an outward flow of goods from the Netherlands, for instance, is offset by an inward flow of money, or an increase of an external claim, in the financial account. An important part of the Balance of Payments is the current account, which includes transactions that help determine income, income distribution and income redistribution. The current account breaks down into the Goods account (Table 12.2), the Services account (Table 12.3), the Income account (Table 12.4) and the current transfers (Table 12.5).

Usually, the largest amounts by far change hands in the Financial account, which includes not only the counter entries of current account transactions, but also lots of other transactions that result in changes in cross-border claims and liabilities. Changes in the foreign assets of residents, for instance, are caused by ‘outward’ direct investment by residents in foreign companies (Table 12.6) and purchases of foreign securities (Table 12.7). A third category in the financial account is that of financial derivatives and other investment (Table 12.8). Following all these tables on payment streams are some tables presenting positions, the assets and liabilities of the Netherlands vis-à-vis the rest of the world, also known as the Netherlands’ External Assets (Table 12.10). Separate tables for elements of the international investment position present our international reserves (Table 12.15) and our gross external debt (Table 12.12). Furthermore there is a table with the reconciliation between balance-of-payments and external assets (Table 12.11).

Because of revision of the tables tables on direct investment stocks, broken down by country, region and sector over older years, i.e. before 2003, temporarily only are available in the old classification.