International investment position

Published: 1/2/2015 Modified: 30/9/2024

The tables of international investment position show the end-of-reporting period positions of assets and liabilities of Croatian residents in economic relations with non-residents. They are compiled in accordance with the methodology recommended by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and adopted by the EU. Accordingly, the tables in this section present the data for the period from the year 1999 onwards, according to the methodology described in the sixth (6th) edition of the IMF's Balance of Payments Manual (BPM6).

The balance of payments of the Republic of Croatia is compiled and published on a quarterly basis, three months after the end of the reporting quarter. With the first release, the data obtain the preliminary status and are expected to be revised during the subsequent releases as additional information becomes available. Moreover, the past data are always subject to revisions due to occasional corrections on the side of the data sources as well as due to the regular updating of the reporting samples.


Release of statistical data on the balance of payments, gross external debt position and international investment position for the second quarter of 2024.


Methodology - international investment position

Published: 30/6/2023

Table H16 International investment position – summary

The International investment position table is made in accordance with the methodology recommended by the International Monetary Fund in its Balance of Payments Manual. From 1993 until the end of 2013, the international investment position was compiled in accordance with the methodology recommended by the International Monetary Fund in the fifth edition of its Balance of Payments Manual (BPM5), while starting from 2014, the international investment position is compiled according to the sixth edition of that manual (BPM6). Also, with the beginning of the implementation of BPM6, the historical data for 1999–2013 have been revised in line with the new methodology.

Data sources include: reports from banks, enterprises, the Croatian National Bank, and the Zagreb Stock Exchange (ZSE).

International investments of the Republic of Croatia and international investments into the Republic of Croatia are recorded in euros (EUR). The conversion of values from the original currencies into the reporting currencies is performed by applying the midpoint exchange rate of the Croatian National Bank on the reporting date to balances.

Data on foreign direct and portfolio equity investment are compiled on the basis of market prices, whenever available. Market prices on the last day of the reporting period taken from the Zagreb Stock Exchange are used in the part related to investment in the Republic of Croatia, while in the part related to investment abroad, the reporting units participating in the research on direct and portfolio equity investments are obliged to state the value at market prices of their equity investment abroad. When this is not possible, the book value of total equity held by direct or portfolio investors is used, regardless of whether investments are made in the Republic of Croatia or abroad (the own funds at book value method).

The sector classification of the portfolio and other investment involves the sector classification of residents according to ESA 2010 and SNA 2008 and is fully harmonised with the sector classification of the gross external debt by domestic sectors and the balance of payments. The general government sector includes central government, social security funds and local government. The sector of the central bank includes the Croatian National Bank. The sector of other monetary financial institutions comprises credit institutions and money market funds. Other domestic sectors comprise all financial institutions and intermediaries except the central bank and other monetary financial institutions (including the Croatian Bank for Reconstruction and Development), private and public non-financial corporations, non-profit institutions and households, including craftsmen.

Item Portfolio debt investment – Assets and liabilities comprises data on investments of residents into debt securities issued by non-residents (assets) and investments of non-residents into debt securities issued by residents (liabilities). The source of data is the register of foreign credit relations kept by the Croatian National Bank and monetary statistics data.

Data on portfolio equity and debt investment are modified by the data submitted by the Central Depository and Clearing Company, credit institutions and investment firms providing securities custody services, particularly in the part Assets of other sectors.

From the first quarter of 2010, the balance of payments includes the balance of positions of the concluded contracts which have features of financial derivatives. Reporting institutions are credit institutions and other financial institutions. In addition, the reporting population has been extended as of the fourth quarter of 2012 to include non-financial corporations which enter into these transactions mainly to hedge against changing market conditions.

Within other investment, BPM6 defines a position of Other equity investment, which implies equity investments that do not meet the criteria for direct investment, portfolio investment or international reserve assets. This position also includes shares in ownership of international organisations.

Item Other investment – Currency and deposits – Assets shows the total liquid foreign currency assets of credit institutions authorised to do business abroad reduced by the amount of foreign currency deposited by credit institutions with the CNB in fulfilment of a part of their reserve requirements. In addition to credit institutions’ foreign claims, foreign claims of the general government sector are also shown. The sources of data are reports from the government and credit institutions. The Bank for International Settlements quarterly data are used for other sectors. Item Other investment – Currency and deposits – Liabilities shows the total foreign currency and kuna liabilities of the said sectors abroad arising from current accounts, time and notice deposits, sight deposits and demand deposits. The sources of data for this item are reports from credit institutions.

Item Other investment – Loans – Assets and liabilities comprises data on loans granted and received between residents and non-residents classified according to institutional sectors. The source of data is the register of foreign credit relations kept by the Croatian National Bank.

Item Other investment – Trade credits – Assets and liabilities comprises foreign claims and foreign liabilities of the said sectors arising from trade credits. The source of data is the register of foreign credit relations kept by the Croatian National Bank for loans over 12 months and the statistical survey on short-term trade credits for trade credits up to 12 months.

Item Other investment – Other equity investment comprises equity investment that is not in the form of securities. It comprises equity investment in quasi-corporations, international organisations etc.

Item Other investment – Other assets and liabilities includes other claims and liabilities not included in trade credits and other financial instruments.

Position Other investment – Special drawing rights on the liability side shows the balance of allocated special drawing rights. The balance of this position was increased on the basis of the general allocation of August 2009, when the Republic of Croatia was allocated SDR 270,652,208, and a special allocation in September of the same year, when it was allocated another SDR 32,848,735.

Item International reserves of the CNB is compiled on the basis of the CNB Accounting Department reports which contain data on their balances and changes.