Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo releases March 2025 balance of payments data with Q1 current account deficit widening to EUR 373.26 million

The Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo published balance of payments statistics for March 2025, showing that the current account recorded a deficit of EUR 373.26 million in the first quarter of 2025, up 17.62% from the same period a year earlier, mainly due to a deeper goods trade deficit. By end-March 2025, the goods trade deficit reached EUR 1.29 billion (up 22.35% year on year), with exports at EUR 204.96 million (down 3.46%) and imports at EUR 1.49 billion (up 18.01%). Offsetting factors included a services surplus of EUR 372.07 million (up 37.15%), a primary income surplus of EUR 81.33 million (from EUR 25.38 million), and a secondary income surplus of EUR 458.88 million (up 5.09%), with remittances at EUR 291.27 million (up 3.65%). Preliminary estimates put April 2025 remittances at EUR 111.66 million, bringing the total for the first four months of 2025 to EUR 402.93 million, with 55.47% received via IFJB, 15.79% via commercial banks and 28.74% through other channels. In the financial account, assets showed a negative balance of EUR 64.65 million and liabilities a positive balance of EUR 245.69 million; direct investment in Kosovo totalled EUR 223.88 million (up 4.06%) while direct investment abroad reached EUR 73.15 million (up 96.29%). Reserve assets recorded a negative balance of EUR 18.84 million, broadly unchanged from the prior year, reflecting changes in deposits and the maturity of securities investments.