Press Releases

The Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK) published today the preliminary data of the Balance of Payments (BOP) of the State of Kuwait for 2016 and the revised data of 2015. Data shows that the Current Account (which sums up transactions between domestic economy and other economies encompassing goods, services and income) recorded a deficit of KD 1510 million during 2016 (4.5% of total estimated 2016 GDP at current prices) against a surplus of KD 1208 million during 2015 (3.5% of 2015 GDP at current prices). The mentioned deficit in the current account reflects mainly the decrease in the value of oil exports on the one hand, and relative stability in the value of merchandise imports on the other causing a drop in the surplus of the Balance on Goods (merchandise exports minus merchandise imports on FOB basis) to reach KD 6075 million during 2016 compared to KD 8396 million during the previous year. Furthermore, deficit in the Services Account ((Net) reflects the value of services transactions between residents and non residents, the most important of which are transportation, travel, communications, construction, other services and government goods and services) increased to reach KD 6353 million during 2016 compared to a deficit of KD 6011 million during the previous year.

In respect of the developments in the Financial Account (the Financial Account records transactions involving financial assets and liabilities between residents and non-residents. It includes job categories, sectors, instruments, and maturities used in net international finance transactions) of the State of Kuwait’s BOP during 2016, growth in the net value of residents’ external assets included in the Financial Account recorded a decrease to reach KD 1068 million during 2016 against an increase of KD 2360 million during the previous year.

As a result of the developments in the main BOP items, the overall position of Kuwait’s BOP realized a surplus of KD 960 million during 2016 against a deficit of KD 886 million during the previous year.

When the overall position of the BOP of the State of Kuwait is considered from a broader perspective to encompass the change in the net value of external assets of some institutions listed under the “General Government” item, the overall position of the Balance of Payments in a broad definition shows an estimated deficit of KD 2531 million during 2016 against a surplus of KD 1619 million during the previous year.