Balance sheet accounts

The national balance sheet account provides a stock dimension to the associated flow data in the financial flow accounts and other changes in assets accounts. The national balance sheet account is a set of balance sheets for all sectors of the economy and for the economy as a whole—a national balance sheet account. The national balance sheet records national wealth (sum of all sectors non-financial assets) and Canada’s net international investment position. Canada’s national net worth is calculated as the difference between what we own in non-financial assets less what we owe (or are due) to/from the rest of the world, as measured by Canada’s international investment position.

The national balance sheet account presents the value of physical and financial assets and the value of financial liabilities (including equities) at the end of a given accounting period. The difference between assets and liabilities is net worth, which can be summed across national sectors to produce an equivalent estimate of national net worth.

There are two main dimensions to the national balance sheet account: sectors and instruments. The sectors identify who holds the assets, liabilities and net worth. The instruments identify what type of liabilities and assets are held—they provide a picture of the composition of a sector’s assets, liabilities and net worth.

Assets and liabilities are valued at current and/or market prices. Market valuation ensures the data are meaningful for current analysis, since economic behaviour reflects perception of current wealth positions.

The following tables includes estimates of the stock of non-financial assets, financial assets and liabilities by institutional sector.