Services Balance (BOP)

The Services Balance (BOP) is the difference between the value of services exported and the value of services imported by residents in transactions with non-residents. It covers categories such as transport, travel, financial services, telecommunications and professional services, and is a core component of the current account in the balance of payments. This indicator is part of Latin Macro Watch, the macroeconomic database maintained by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for Latin America and the Caribbean.

Coverage

The Services Balance (BOP) series spans 23 countries across Latin America and the Caribbean, available at annual, monthly and quarterly frequency over the 1990–2026 period. Values are reported in several units, including millions of USD, % of GDP, year-to-date (YTD) and fiscal-year (Q4–Q3) aggregations. Available transformations include 3-, 6- and 12-month moving averages (MA3, MA6, MA12) and month-over-month, quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year percentage changes (MoM %, QoQ %, YoY %).

Sources

The data are compiled from national statistical offices and central banks, including Banco Central do Brasil, Banco de la República de Colombia, Banco de Mexico (Banxico), Banco Central de Reserva del Perú, INDEC - Argentina and the Central Bank of The Bahamas, among other official agencies across the region.

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Format	CSV
Language	en
Country	Argentina Bahamas Trinidad & Tobago Belize Costa Rica Dominican Republic Ecuador Bolivia Brazil Chile Colombia El Salvador Jamaica Mexico Nicaragua Guatemala Guyana Haiti Honduras Panama Uruguay Venezuela Barbados Paraguay Peru Suriname
Data notes	What does the Services Balance (BOP) measure? It measures the difference between the value of services a country exports and the services it imports in transactions with non-residents, covering categories such as transport, travel, financial services, telecommunications and professional services. It is a core component of the current account. How many countries and which frequencies and period are covered? The series covers 23 countries across Latin America and the Caribbean at annual, monthly and quarterly frequency, spanning the 1990–2026 period. What units and transformations are available? Values are available in millions of USD, % of GDP, year-to-date (YTD) and fiscal-year (Q4–Q3) aggregations. Transformations include MA3, MA6 and MA12 moving averages and MoM %, QoQ % and YoY % changes. Where does the data come from? The data are compiled from national central banks and statistical offices, including Banco Central do Brasil, Banco de la República de Colombia, Banco de Mexico (Banxico), Banco Central de Reserva del Perú, INDEC - Argentina and the Central Bank of The Bahamas, among other official agencies. What are typical uses of this indicator? Researchers, policymakers and analysts use the Services Balance to assess a country's external competitiveness in services, monitor the current account and compare service-trade performance across Latin America and the Caribbean. How do I cite this indicator? Cite it as: Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Latin Macro Watch — "Services Balance (BOP)". data.iadb.org/dataset/latin-macro-watch-dataset.