In the first half of 2026, the current account of the balance of payments recorded a surplus of USD 207.2 million, an increase of USD 2 billion compared to the same period last year.

According to the National Statistics Office, the growth in the current account surplus was driven by a USD 3.8 billion, or 6.3-fold, increase in the goods trade surplus compared to the same period of the previous year. Conversely, the services account recorded a deficit of USD 1.7 billion, up by 24.2%, or USD 340.3 million year-on-year. The primary income account ran a deficit of USD 2.7 billion, an increase of USD 1.5 billion, or 2.2 times compared to the previous year.

During this period, service trade revenue reached USD 930.4 million, an increase of 21.5%, or USD 164.6 million, from the same period last year. This growth was fueled by an 8.8% (USD 27.8 million) rise in transport service revenue, a 4.4% (USD 11.9 million) rise in travel revenue, and a 68.7% (USD 125 million) increase in other service revenue. Of the total service revenue, transport accounted for 36.8%, travel and tourism for 30.2%, and other services for 33%.

Meanwhile, service expenses reached USD 2.7 billion, up by 23.2%, or USD 505 million year-on-year. This increase was driven by an 11.2% (USD 76.3 million) rise in transport expenses, a 7.2% (USD 57.7 million) rise in travel expenses, and a 53.6% (USD 371 million) surge in other service expenses. Travel accounted for 32.1% of the total expenses, while transport and other services made up 28.2% and 39.7%, respectively.

The primary income account deficit reached USD 2.7 billion, widening by USD 1.5 billion compared to the same period last year. This was largely due to income payments to foreign investors reaching USD 1.6 billion, an increase of USD 1.5 billion from the previous year.

In the first half of the year, the financial account recorded a surplus of USD 209.3 million. This surplus decreased by 83.4%, or USD 1 billion, year-on-year, primarily due to a USD 1.3 billion increase in the deficit of other investments. However, the direct investment surplus increased by 34.5%, or USD 316.3 million, compared to the same period last year.

Overall, the balance of payments recorded a surplus of USD 566.6 million during this period, marking an increase of USD 1 billion compared to the same period last year.

Published Date:2026-08-17