The flash estimate¹ put the Estonian current account at 20 million euros in surplus in April 2015. Almost all the components in the current account were down, as exports and imports of goods and services and income from direct investment were less than in April last year. As the fall in imports was larger than that in exports however, the current account moved into surplus.

The sum total of the current and capital accounts was also positive in April. This means that the Estonian economy was a net lender to the rest of the world, so the country as a whole invested more resources abroad than it received from there.

Eesti Pank is publishing the flash estimate of the balance of payments monthly for the last month but one. From January 2015 Eesti Pank is accompanying the publication of the flash estimate with a short comment. The statistics on the second quarter of 2015 will be published with a comment on 8 September.

¹ The quarterly balance of payments is compiled from a combined system of representative primary data sources, including surveys of companies, while the monthly balance of payments draws from a considerably smaller database. Although the monthly report uses as much data available for the month reported as possible, including administrative data sources and reports on international payments, it is subjective to a certain degree, which is why it is called an estimate. Once the quarterly balance of payments is released, the monthly balances of payments are adjusted accordingly.

Additional information:
Sünne Korasteljov
Eesti Pank Statistics Department
Telephone: +372 668 0906
Email: [email protected]