Components of the New Zealand goods and services balance

New Zealand's balance of payment statistics are compiled according to the International Monetary Fund's principles in the sixth edition of the Balance of Payments Manual.
Data may not sum to stated totals due to rounding.

Balance of payments (BoP): New Zealand's BoP statements are records of the value of the country's transactions with the rest of the world in goods, services, primary income, and secondary income. They also record changes in New Zealand’s financial claims on (assets), and liabilities to, the rest of the world.

International investment position (IIP): New Zealand’s IIP statement provides a snapshot of the country’s international financial assets and liabilities. It measures the stock (or level) of New Zealand's financial assets and liabilities with the rest of the world at a particular point in time.
The IIP includes New Zealand's net international debt (lending to non-residents less borrowing from non-residents) and net international equity investment (investment in shares abroad less foreign investment in New Zealand company shares). A net international debtor position means that international liabilities exceed international assets.

The BoP and IIP statistics are closely related, with the former measuring transaction flows and the latter measuring stock positions. The difference in the level of international financial assets and liabilities between two points in time is due to:
- BoP financial account transactions
- other (non-transactional) changes that occurred during the period (eg revaluations, changes in market prices, and other changes such as write-offs).

The source data and information for BoP and IIP statistics collected and processed each quarter include:
- Statistics NZ surveys of New Zealand-resident enterprises
- surveys conducted by other entities
- administrative data
- financial market information