The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has introduced the seventh edition of the Integrated Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual (BPM7). This new manual updates global standards for compiling external sector statistics, including balance of payments and integrated international investment positions. It addresses significant changes in the global economy, such as increased economic interconnectedness, digitalization, and financial market innovations since the previous update in 2009.
The development of BPM7 involved several years of work by the IMF Statistics Department, with input from the IMF Committee on Balance of Payments Statistics (BOPCOM) and support from a global community of statisticians and users. According to an official statement, "BPM7 serves as a key framework for member countries, guiding the preparation of internationally comparable statistics and the production of high-quality data that reflects economic realities."
The release coincides with the updated System of National Accounts, 2025 (2025 SNA), adopted by the United Nations Statistical Commission on March 5, 2025. Additionally, revisions are planned for other statistical manuals to maintain harmonization with these updated standards. The IMF encourages countries to implement both BPM7 and 2025 SNA by 2029–2030. To aid this transition, "the IMF will support implementation of the updated BPM7 by providing additional guidance and technical assistance."
Currently available electronically in English, BPM7 will also be published in Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish following its final version release.