Economic Outlook No 117 — Current account balance as a percentage of in New Zealand
New Zealand: Economic Outlook No 117 — Current account balance as a percentage of was -4.82 in 2026. ◆ Volatile
Economic Outlook No 117 — Current account balance as a percentage of in New Zealand, 1972–2026
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
Analysis
New Zealand recorded -4.82 for economic outlook no 117 — current account balance as a percentage of in 2026.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.7% on the previous year and down 137.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, economic outlook no 117 — current account balance as a percentage of in New Zealand peaked at 1.03 in 1973 and was at its lowest, -11.15, in 1974.
New Zealand ranks 37th of 39 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Economic Outlook No 117 — Current account balance as a percentage of in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 0.432 | — |
| 1973 | 1.03 | +139.0% |
| 1974 | -11.15 | -1179.8% |
| 1975 | -9.76 | -12.5% |
| 1976 | -6.57 | -32.7% |
| 1977 | -5.36 | -18.3% |
| 1978 | -2.37 | -55.7% |
| 1979 | -2.88 | +21.3% |
| 1980 | -3.82 | +32.5% |
| 1981 | -4.17 | +9.2% |
| 1982 | -6.81 | +63.3% |
| 1983 | -3.8 | -44.2% |
| 1984 | -7.62 | +100.7% |
| 1985 | -6.22 | -18.5% |
| 1986 | -5 | -19.6% |
| 1987 | -3.83 | -23.4% |
| 1988 | -0.2509 | -93.4% |
| 1989 | -2.93 | +1066.3% |
| 1990 | -2.81 | -3.9% |
| 1991 | -2.34 | -16.8% |
| 1992 | -3.6 | +53.7% |
| 1993 | -3.27 | -9.2% |
| 1994 | -3.04 | -7.0% |
| 1995 | -3.85 | +26.7% |
| 1996 | -4.72 | +22.6% |
| 1997 | -5.14 | +9.0% |
| 1998 | -2.64 | -48.8% |
| 1999 | -4.8 | +82.3% |
| 2000 | -3.2 | -33.4% |
| 2001 | -0.794 | -75.2% |
| 2002 | -2.15 | +170.2% |
| 2003 | -2.4 | +11.7% |
| 2004 | -4.52 | +88.7% |
| 2005 | -6.98 | +54.4% |
| 2006 | -7.01 | +0.4% |
| 2007 | -6.67 | -4.9% |
| 2008 | -7.67 | +15.0% |
| 2009 | -2.24 | -70.8% |
| 2010 | -2.22 | -0.9% |
| 2011 | -2.77 | +25.1% |
| 2012 | -3.89 | +40.2% |
| 2013 | -3.02 | -22.2% |
| 2014 | -3.09 | +2.1% |
| 2015 | -2.67 | -13.6% |
| 2016 | -2.03 | -24.0% |
| 2017 | -2.8 | +37.9% |
| 2018 | -4.14 | +48.0% |
| 2019 | -2.8 | -32.3% |
| 2020 | -1.33 | -52.7% |
| 2021 | -5.75 | +333.9% |
| 2022 | -8.8 | +52.9% |
| 2023 | -6.88 | -21.8% |
| 2024 | -6.13 | -10.8% |
| 2025 | -4.95 | -19.3% |
| 2026 | -4.82 | -2.7% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's -4.82 is below the median for high income countries, which is 0.4993. (29 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's -4.82 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is -2.2, 2.2× the median. (5 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Economic Outlook No 117 — Current account balance as a percentage of in New Zealand changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | -1179.8% | 1.03 | -11.15 |
| 1989 | -1066.3% | -0.2509 | -2.93 |
| 2021 | -333.9% | -1.33 | -5.75 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | -4.58 | -11.15 | 1.03 | 8 |
| 1980s | -4.44 | -7.62 | -0.2509 | 10 |
| 1990s | -3.62 | -5.14 | -2.34 | 10 |
| 2000s | -4.36 | -7.67 | -0.794 | 10 |
| 2010s | -2.94 | -4.14 | -2.03 | 10 |
| 2020s | -5.52 | -8.8 | -1.33 | 7 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
- 34 Iceland -2.72 compare
- 35 United States -3.42 compare
- 36 United Kingdom -3.55 compare
- 38 Greece -5.03 compare
- 39 Romania -8.72 compare
More economy & growth data for New Zealand
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.71 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.37 Percent per annum (2029)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 23.86 million BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0001 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 4.48 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 3.61 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual 104.98 % change on previous year (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0137 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 677.46 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 27.59 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is economic outlook no 117 — current account balance as a percentage of in New Zealand?
- Economic outlook no 117 — current account balance as a percentage of in New Zealand was -4.82 in 2026, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest economic outlook no 117 — current account balance as a percentage of recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 1.03 in 1973.
- What is the lowest economic outlook no 117 — current account balance as a percentage of recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was -11.15 in 1974.
- How does New Zealand rank for economic outlook no 117 — current account balance as a percentage of?
- New Zealand ranks 37th out of 39 countries with data for 2026.
- Is economic outlook no 117 — current account balance as a percentage of rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 137.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this New Zealand data come from?
- The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Economic Outlook No 117 — Current account balance as a percentage of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The OECD Economic Outlook presents the OECD’s analysis of the major global economic trends and prospects for the next two years. The Outlook puts forward a consistent set of projections for output, employment, government spending, prices and current balances based on a review of each member country and of the induced effect on each of them on international developments. OECD (2025), OECD Economic Outlook No 117 (Edition 2025/1) EO117 Database documentation EO117 Last historical points gdp inflation cpi population unemployment real gdp gdp per capita employment OECD Economic Outlook website: https://www.oecd.org/economic-outlook/ Contact : eco.outlook@oecd.org Keywords : Outlook, forecasts, forecast, GDP