Today, Lietuvos bankas published the balance of payments for the third quarter of 2025, which shows that:
the surplus on the current account balance (CAB) decreased compared to the second quarter of 2025, from €137.9 million to €66.5 million, accounting for 0.3% of gross domestic product (GDP). This development was mainly influenced by the increased surplus on the balance of services, which offset the growing deficit in the primary income and the foreign trade balances. The increase in the foreign trade deficit (9.2%) was influenced by the growth in imports of goods, which exceeded the growth in exports of goods (by 3.5% and 2.4%, respectively), and amounted to €1.8 billion. Compared to the previous quarter, with exports of services increasing by 6.2% and imports of services by 5.7%, the surplus on the balance of services increased (by 6.9%) and amounted to €2.7 billion;
the primary income balance deficit increased by 21.1% and amounted to €914.9 million, mainly due to the increased deficit in the investment income balance and the other primary income balance, which turned from surplus to deficit;
the surplus on the secondary income balance jumped 3.9 times and reached €87.4 million. This development was determined by financial support for the general government sector received from the European Union (EU) and by reduced government sector expenditure.
For comparison: a year ago, CAB was also in surplus and amounted to €1.1 billion, or 5.1% of GDP at current prices;
the surplus on the capital account balance increased twofold compared to the previous quarter and reached €577.2 million. The surplus was due to EU financial support received for the financing of investment projects;
in the third quarter, unlike in the second quarter, the net flow of the financial account investment was positive and reached €1.1 billion, or 5.0% of GDP. This was due to an increase in the positive net flow of portfolio investment (€1.5 billion) and an increase in official reserve assets (€157.4 million), which were not offset by negative net flows of direct and other investment (€464.2 million and €74.7 million, respectively).
For comparison: in the third quarter of 2024, the net flow of financial account investment was also positive, amounting to €268.9 million, or 1.3% of GDP at current prices;
the net international investment position was negative and amounted to €2.4 billion, or -2.9% of GDP, at the end of the third quarter of this year. A year ago, it amounted to -€895.0 million, or -1.2% of GDP at current prices;
at the end of the reporting period, Lithuania’s gross external debt stood at €73.7 billion, or 89.1% of GDP, while the net external debt amounted to -€7.1 billion, or -8.6% of GDP, i.e. Lithuania’s assets abroad exceeded its foreign liabilities.
For comparison: a year ago, Lithuania’s gross external debt amounted to €56.2 billion, or 72.5% of GDP, while net external debt amounted to -€10.3 billion, or -13.3% of GDP.
Source: www.lb.lt
