Quarterly Current Account Deficit $7.2 Billion

New Zealand's seasonally adjusted current account deficit widened by $269 million to $7.2 billion in the June 2024 quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ today.

QuarterCurrent account balanceGoods balanceServices balancePrimary and secondary income balance
Jun-04-1202000000 -334000000 1102000000-1970000000
Sep-04-2289000000 -803000000 806000000-2292000000
Dec-04-2144000000 -814000000 641000000-1972000000
Mar-05-2309000000 -760000000 605000000-2153000000
Jun-05-2871000000 -997000000 506000000-2379000000
Sep-05-3105000000-1486000000 836000000-2454000000
Dec-05-3092000000-1070000000 572000000-2594000000
Mar-06-3671000000-1335000000 614000000-2950000000
Jun-06-2718000000 -892000000 672000000-2498000000
Sep-06-2668000000 -603000000 573000000-2639000000
Dec-06-3010000000 -953000000 806000000-2864000000
Mar-07-3224000000-1051000000 778000000-2952000000
Jun-07-3282000000-1045000000 702000000-2940000000
Sep-07-3260000000 -771000000 736000000-3226000000
Dec-07-2688000000 -100000000 601000000-3189000000
Mar-08-3191000000 -553000000 632000000-3270000000
Jun-08-4262000000-1397000000 503000000-3368000000
Sep-08-3915000000 -931000000 312000000-3296000000
Dec-08-3190000000 -120000000 251000000-3321000000
Mar-09-1939000000 522000000 538000000-2999000000
Jun-09 -314000000 538000000 508000000-1360000000
Sep-09 339000000 598000000 771000000-1030000000
Dec-09-2437000000 123000000 662000000-3222000000
Mar-10 -489000000 774000000 470000000-1732000000
Jun-10 -889000000 1106000000 573000000-2568000000
Sep-10 -984000000 756000000 476000000-2217000000
Dec-10-2157000000 296000000 364000000-2818000000
Mar-11-1641000000 730000000 309000000-2681000000
Jun-11-1249000000 986000000 176000000-2411000000
Sep-11-1725000000 451000000 384000000-2560000000
Dec-11-1303000000 700000000 629000000-2632000000
Mar-12-2488000000 -275000000 184000000-2396000000
Jun-12-2231000000 133000000 298000000-2662000000
Sep-12-1785000000 203000000 267000000-2254000000
Dec-12-1976000000 26000000 164000000-2166000000
Mar-13-1956000000 130000000 291000000-2378000000
Jun-13-2147000000 -192000000 316000000-2272000000
Sep-13-2087000000 -177000000 294000000-2204000000
Dec-13 -856000000 1570000000 155000000-2580000000
Mar-14 -765000000 1489000000 303000000-2556000000
Jun-14-2166000000 220000000 258000000-2644000000
Sep-14-2300000000 -251000000 327000000-2377000000
Dec-14-2271000000 -371000000 762000000-2662000000
Mar-15-1652000000 -96000000 873000000-2429000000
Jun-15-2114000000 -712000000 1071000000-2474000000
Sep-15-1346000000 -496000000 1307000000-2156000000
Dec-15-1709000000 -771000000 1255000000-2193000000
Mar-16 -970000000 -394000000 1407000000-1984000000
Jun-16-1326000000 -523000000 1232000000-2034000000
Sep-16-1804000000 -756000000 1286000000-2334000000
Dec-16-1415000000 -872000000 1381000000-1924000000
Mar-17-2449000000 -861000000 1194000000-2783000000
Jun-17-1573000000 -530000000 1497000000-2540000000
Sep-17-1855000000 -145000000 1333000000-3043000000
Dec-17-2281000000 -530000000 1342000000-3094000000
Mar-18-3311000000-1633000000 1416000000-3094000000
Jun-18-3359000000-1413000000 1362000000-3308000000
Sep-18-3098000000 -959000000 893000000-3032000000
Dec-18-2949000000-1152000000 1101000000-2897000000
Mar-19-2408000000 -790000000 969000000-2587000000
Jun-19-2620000000 -938000000 882000000-2565000000
Sep-19-2447000000-1250000000 1074000000-2271000000
Dec-19-1629000000 -857000000 1007000000-1780000000
Mar-20 -923000000 -88000000 984000000-1818000000
Jun-20 -164000000 1927000000 -327000000-1764000000
Sep-20-1172000000 624000000 -77000000-1719000000
Dec-20-2102000000 -2000000 -748000000-1352000000
Mar-21-5266000000-1363000000-1747000000-2156000000
Jun-21-3226000000 -410000000 -480000000-2336000000
Sep-21-5443000000-1926000000-1124000000-2393000000
Dec-21-6773000000-2061000000-1980000000-2732000000
Mar-22-8735000000-2785000000-3027000000-2923000000
Jun-22-8962000000-3185000000-2373000000-3404000000
Sep-22-7610000000-2480000000-1922000000-3208000000
Dec-22-9380000000-3753000000-2152000000-3475000000
Mar-23-7797000000-3899000000-1365000000-2533000000
Jun-23-7024000000-2361000000 -845000000-3819000000
Sep-23-7097000000-3167000000 -3000000-3927000000
Dec-23-6716000000-2873000000 -204000000-3639000000
Mar-24-6900000000-2506000000 -529000000-3864000000
Jun-24-7169000000-2616000000 -501000000-4052000000

Primary income deficit widens

In the June 2024 quarter, the primary income deficit widened by $291 million to $3.8 billion.

The overseas earnings of New Zealand investors increased by $36 million, while the earnings of overseas investors in New Zealand increased by $263 million.

"In the June 2024 quarter, New Zealand continued to issue bonds to overseas investors, which further added to the amount of interest paid on all issued bonds," senior manager Stuart Jones said.

The overseas earnings of New Zealand investors were largely profits from overseas-owned companies.

Goods imports increase more than exports

In the June 2024 quarter, the seasonally adjusted goods deficit widened by $110 million to $2.6 billion.

Goods imports increased by $183 million, led by transport equipment, including aircraft and aircraft parts.

Goods exports increased by $74 million, led by meat and a range of other commodities, including aluminium, wine, and fish. Exports of logs and wood products and dairy decreased.

Services exports increase

In the June 2024 quarter, the seasonally adjusted services deficit narrowed by $28 million to $501 million.

Services exports increased $127 million, led by transportation services exports.

Services imports increased $99 million, led by travel imports - the spending of New Zealanders while travelling overseas.

International investment position

The net international investment position represents the difference between New Zealand's financial assets and liabilities with the rest of the world.

New Zealand has a net liability position as it has more liabilities with the rest of the world than assets.

At 30 June 2024, New Zealand's net international investment liability position was $205.3 billion (49.7 percent of GDP), $6.2 billion wider than $199.1 billion (48.6 percent of GDP) as at 31 March 2024.

QuarterNet international investment position
Jun-04 -99623000000
Sep-04-106093000000
Dec-04-111481000000
Mar-05-110773000000
Jun-05-111510000000
Sep-05-116818000000
Dec-05-120665000000
Mar-06-118345000000
Jun-06-118985000000
Sep-06-124574000000
Dec-06-130589000000
Mar-07-129757000000
Jun-07-133418000000
Sep-07-135949000000
Dec-07-135977000000
Mar-08-138295000000
Jun-08-142605000000
Sep-08-152257000000
Dec-08-155609000000
Mar-09-159685000000
Jun-09-156598000000
Sep-09-156330000000
Dec-09-153842000000
Mar-10-152424000000
Jun-10-154495000000
Sep-10-146289000000
Dec-10-142898000000
Mar-11-126218000000
Jun-11-130550000000
Sep-11-140663000000
Dec-11-143143000000
Mar-12-142532000000
Jun-12-145150000000
Sep-12-145995000000
Dec-12-149560000000
Mar-13-147518000000
Jun-13-148719000000
Sep-13-147244000000
Dec-13-144969000000
Mar-14-150719000000
Jun-14-150662000000
Sep-14-151474000000
Dec-14-154648000000
Mar-15-150372000000
Jun-15-145068000000
Sep-15-150576000000
Dec-15-149820000000
Mar-16-155720000000
Jun-16-159972000000
Sep-16-164838000000
Dec-16-153636000000
Mar-17-148195000000
Jun-17-150117000000
Sep-17-149860000000
Dec-17-150507000000
Mar-18-150699000000
Jun-18-156549000000
Sep-18-158672000000
Dec-18-171820000000
Mar-19-166749000000
Jun-19-170400000000
Sep-19-175084000000
Dec-19-174356000000
Mar-20-182673000000
Jun-20-182892000000
Sep-20-181686000000
Dec-20-183901000000
Mar-21-170394000000
Jun-21-161065000000
Sep-21-170668000000
Dec-21-169013000000
Mar-22-167935000000
Jun-22-189384000000
Sep-22-200292000000
Dec-22-202239000000
Mar-23-192957000000
Jun-23-198220000000
Sep-23-200320000000
Dec-23-211759000000
Mar-24-199103000000
Jun-24-205284000000

The widening of the net international investment liability position reflected New Zealand's international liabilities increasing more than its assets.

"In the June 2024 quarter, we borrowed more from overseas than we acquired in overseas financial assets," Jones said.

"This, together with weaker overseas market performance and the stronger New Zealand dollar, contributed to the widening of New Zealand's net international investment liability position."

Financial account records net inflow

In the June 2024 quarter, the financial account recorded a net inflow of $3.8 billion from overseas. This inflow helped to finance the $4.8 billion actual current account deficit.

Annual current account deficit $27.8 billion

New Zealand's annual current account deficit was $27.8 billion (6.7 percent of GDP) in the year ended 30 June 2024.

This compares with a $27.6 billion deficit in the year ended 30 March 2024 (6.7 percent of GDP).

Year ended in quarterAnnual current account balance to GDP ratio (%)
Jun-04-2.8
Sep-04-3.8
Dec-04-4.6
Mar-05-5.1
Jun-05-6.1
Sep-05-6.6
Dec-05-7.1
Mar-06-7.8
Jun-06-7.6
Sep-06-7.3
Dec-06-7.2
Mar-07-6.8
Jun-07-6.9
Sep-07-7.1
Dec-07-6.9
Mar-08-6.6
Jun-08-7.0
Sep-08-7.5
Dec-08-7.8
Mar-09-7.1
Jun-09-5.1
Sep-09-2.6
Dec-09-2.2
Mar-10-1.5
Jun-10-1.7
Sep-10-2.4
Dec-10-2.3
Mar-11-2.8
Jun-11-2.8
Sep-11-3.2
Dec-11-2.8
Mar-12-3.1
Jun-12-3.6
Sep-12-3.6
Dec-12-3.9
Mar-13-3.7
Jun-13-3.6
Sep-13-3.8
Dec-13-3.2
Mar-14-2.5
Jun-14-2.4
Sep-14-2.5
Dec-14-3.1
Mar-15-3.4
Jun-15-3.3
Sep-15-3.1
Dec-15-2.8
Mar-16-2.4
Jun-16-2.1
Sep-16-2.2
Dec-16-2.1
Mar-17-2.5
Jun-17-2.5
Sep-17-2.6
Dec-17-2.9
Mar-18-3.1
Jun-18-3.6
Sep-18-4.0
Dec-18-4.2
Mar-19-3.9
Jun-19-3.5
Sep-19-3.3
Dec-19-2.9
Mar-20-2.4
Jun-20-1.6
Sep-20-1.0
Dec-20-1.1
Mar-21-2.7
Jun-21-3.4
Sep-21-4.7
Dec-21-6.0
Mar-22-6.8
Jun-22-8.2
Sep-22-8.8
Dec-22-9.4
Mar-23-8.7
Jun-23-8.1
Sep-23-7.8
Dec-23-7.1
Mar-24-6.7
Jun-24-6.7
/Stats NZ Public Release. This material from the originating organization/author(s) might be of the point-in-time nature, and edited for clarity, style and length. Mirage.News does not take institutional positions or sides, and all views, positions, and conclusions expressed herein are solely those of the author(s).View in full here.