Current account deficit, up almost 17 pct in 2019, to 10.48 bln euros

The balance-of-payments current account registered a deficit of 10.478 billion euros last year, an increase of almost 17 pct compared to the similar period of 2018, shows a press release of the National Bank of Romania (BNR) sent to AGERPRES on Thursday. In 2018, the current account deficit was 8.96 billion euros. According to the BNR, structurally, the goods balance recorded a deficit by 2,554 billion euros higher, the surplus of the balance of services was by 194 million euros lower, the deficit in the primary income balance narrowed by 533 million euros, and the surplus of the secondary incomes balance was by 309 million euros higher. Between January and December 2019, the total external debt increased by 6.159 billion euros.AGERPRES(RO - author: Mariana Nica, editor: Andreea Marinescu; EN - author: Simona Iacob, editor: Maria Voican)