The euro zone posted a current account deficit of €800 million in June, down from €1.3 billion 12 months earlier, the ECB said today.
The figure, which represents the flow of goods, services and investment income plus other financial transfers, was unchanged from the figure for May.
The ECB said the surplus for goods almost doubled to €8.3 billion, from €4 billion in June 2000.
The income balance - the difference between interest paid to investors abroad for savings in the euro zone and interest received by investors in the zone for their savings abroad - showed a €3.2-billion-euro deficit, compared with a deficit of €1.5 billion one year earlier.
Current transfers also showed a deficit of €6.4 billion, against a deficit of €5.1 billion in June 2000.
But the bank also said that a total of €19.8 billion in direct and portfolio investments flowed into the 12-nation euro zone in June, compared with a net outflow of €15.5 billion in May.
AFP