6.3.2—Current account calculations

The current-account balance equals the balance on goods plus the balance on services, primary income and current transfers. A surplus means credits exceed debits; a deficit means the reverse.

Keep the sign convention consistent. Exports and receipts are credits; imports and payments are debits. Values in a question may be given as positive categories, so label the subtraction before adding.

A goods surplus of 30, services deficit of 12, primary-income deficit of 8 and transfer surplus of 2 give a current-account surplus of 12.

Do not add every printed number as a positive contribution; the economic direction of each flow determines its sign.