Russia’s Balance of Payments in 2017

Alexandra Bozhechkova – Head of Monetary Policy Department of the Center for Macroeconomics and Finance of the Gaidar Institute; Senior Research fellow of the Institute for Applied Economic Studies, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, Candidate of Economic Sciences. E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Alexander Knobel – Head of Foreign Trade Department, Center for Real Sector of the Gaidar Institute; Director of the Center for Foreign Trade Department, Institute for Applied Economic Studies, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, Candidate of Economic Sciences. E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Pavel Trunin – Head of Center for Macroeconomics and Finance of the Gaidar Institute; Leading Research fellow of the Center for the Study of Central Banks, Institute for Applied Economic Studies, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, Candidate of Economic Sciences. E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Russia’s positive balance of trade increased in 2017, ensuring a steady BoP position. The private sector saw capital outflow in 2017, mostly because Russian banks had trimmed foreign-exchange liabilities. The rouble appreciated on the back of stable balance of payments.

Key words: balance of payments, current account, trade surplus, capital outflow, capital inflow and exchange rate.