Euro area current account surplus rises to $41.9 bn in June

The euro area’s current account surplus rose to €36 billion (~$41.9 billion) in June 2025, up from €32 billion (~$37.2 billion) in May, the European Central Bank (ECB) said. Surpluses were recorded in goods (€23 billion), services (€16 billion) and primary income (€14 billion), partly offset by a €17 billion deficit in secondary income.

In the 12 months to June 2025, the current account surplus amounted to €318 billion (~$369.8 billion), representing 2 per cent of euro area GDP, down from €386 billion (~$448.8 billion) (2.6 per cent) a year earlier.

The decline was largely due to a shift in primary income from a €43 billion surplus to a €7 billion deficit, a widening secondary income deficit (from €168 billion to €186 billion), and a reduction in the services surplus (from €158 billion to €144 billion). A stronger goods surplus, rising from €354 billion to €367 billion, partly offset these declines.

On the financial account side, euro area residents recorded net acquisitions of non-euro area portfolio investment securities worth €814 billion in the 12 months to June 2025, compared with €749 billion of acquisitions by non-residents in euro area securities.

Purchases of non-euro area equity by residents surged to €235 billion from €103 billion, while debt security acquisitions rose to €579 billion from €428 billion. Non-residents’ net purchases of euro area equity increased to €391 billion from €285 billion, though debt purchases eased to €358 billion from €402 billion.

In direct investment, euro area residents made net investments of €261 billion in non-euro area assets, compared with net disinvestments of €230 billion a year earlier. Non-residents, meanwhile, invested €184 billion in euro area assets, following €374 billion in net disinvestments in the previous year, ECB said in a release.

Other investment flows also expanded, with residents’ net acquisitions of non-euro area assets rising to €636 billion from €205 billion, while their liabilities increased by €360 billion, compared with net disposals of €181 billion a year earlier.

The Eurosystem’s stock of reserve assets declined to €1,462.1 billion (~$1.70 trillion) in June, down from €1,507.7 billion in May, driven mainly by negative price changes of €34 billion due to lower gold prices and negative exchange rate effects of €13 billion. These were partly offset by modest net acquisitions of €1.4 billion.

ALCHEMPro News Desk (HU)