The External Balance Sheet of the United Kingdom : Recent Developments

The external balance sheet (or international investment position) gives the most complete picture of the stock position of a country in its financial transactions with the rest of the world. The very breadth of coverage of the data leads inevitably to problems of measurement and valuation. Nevertheless, subject to certain qualifications, the data can throw some light on macroeconomic and financial stability issues related to the United Kingdom's cross-border financial links. This article, one in an annual series, discusses the recent evolution of the United Kingdom's external balance sheet, reviewing along the way some of the main methodological issues that impinge on an interpretation of the data. It concludes that, despite a persistent current account deficit, the balance of probability is that the United Kingdom still has net external assets, or at least the capacity to generate net investment income from overseas. There are also some grounds for optimism that the structure of its assets and liabilities has left the United Kingdom in a fairly strong position to withstand financial shocks