balance of payments

noun

the difference between a nation's total payments to foreign countries, including movements of capital and gold, investments, tourist spending, etc., and its total receipts from foreign countries.

Origin

1835-45

Examples from the web for balance of payments

If the idea of recruiting foreign students becomes large-scale and successful, it could benefit the balance of payments deficit.
If the students bring their currency with them, their college expenses is a positive for our balance of payments.
To see why, look at the country's balance of payments.
To succeed in turning around their balance of payments, internal adjustments in these countries have to continue.
The old currencies were set too expensive to the euro or ecu in view of balance of payments.
The latter approach helps to avoid unsustainably large balance of payments deficits or surpluses.

British Dictionary definitions for balance of payments

balance of payments

noun

the difference over a given time between total payments to foreign nations, arising from imports of goods and services and transfers abroad of capital, interest, grants, etc, and total receipts from foreign nations, arising from exports of goods and services and transfers from abroad of capital, interest, grants, etc

balance of payments in Culture

balance of payments definition

The relationship between the payments made by one nation to all other nations and its receipts from all other nations.

Note: A nation whose payments exceed its receipts is said to be running an unfavorable balance of payments, which can affect the value of its currency in foreign countries. (See foreign exchange.)