The balance of payments records all economic transactions between residents and non-residents within a given time period and thus shows a country’s complex economics links with the rest of the world.

Current data and changes compared with the previous month

Further information

100 years of the German balance of payments: 1924 to 2024

To mark the anniversary, we would like to take a look back. We will take you on a short journey through history and show you where the balance of payments in 1924 and 2024 are still very similar and where they differ (significantly).

The Balance of Payments Manual 1st Edition

After the end of World War 2, the United Nations took over the tasks of the League of Nations. The task of setting standards and publishing balance of payments was entrusted to the newly established International Monetary Fund (IMF). To this day, a key task of the IMF is to provide financial assistance to countries with serious balance of payments problems.

The 1st edition of the Balance of Payments Manual is fundamentally based on the developments of the League of Nations. A provisional form of the manual was adopted at a specialist conference in September 1947 with representatives from around 30 countries and international organisations. The structure is very similar to the League of Nations’ “Letter of Requirements”. However, a major innovation is that, in addition to extensive tables, the conceptual foundations of the balance of payments are presented centrally at the very beginning.