This publication describes the conceptual framework of New Zealand's balance of payments (BoP) and international investment position (IIP) statistics and the data sources and methods used to compile them. Its purpose is to help users understand the statistics. It explains what the statistics measure, how they may be interpreted, how they relate to other economic series, how they are produced, where they are published and why they are subject to varying degrees of accuracy and reliability.

This is the fourth edition of Sources and Methods, the third having been published in 2001. This new edition preserves the original concept of the manual and brings no major redesign to the previous edition. The text has been revised, expanded and updated with the objective of incorporating relevant changes as the BoP statistical reporting framework continues to grow in both breadth and depth.

Without the cooperation of a large number of enterprises and individuals, both in the private and public sectors, which provide data, Statistics New Zealand would not be able to prepare the statistics referred to in this publication.

Custodian: Statistics New Zealand