Net International Investment Position (NIIP) is a measure of a nation’s economic and financial position with respect to the rest of the world. It is essentially a balance sheet that quantifies the value of a country’s foreign assets, such as investments in foreign countries and claims on foreign entities, in relation to its foreign liabilities, such as loans to foreign entities and investments by foreign investors in that country. NIIP can be calculated at any given moment, indicating the net position of a nation’s investments in foreign countries and financial claims on foreign entities relative to the claims on its economy by foreign investors.

By juxtaposing the value of foreign assets with foreign liabilities, a net international investment position can be established in terms of whether a country is a net creditor or a net debtor. A country is considered a net creditor if its foreign assets greater than its foreign liabilities, meanwhile a net debtor is a country whose foreign liabilities exceeds its foreign assets. A favourable net international investment position is important for the creditworthiness of a nation and, in many cases, banks and other financial institutions will use it to assess the economy and the potential for investment in a given nation.

NIIP is the building block for the productivity of a nation and is closely related to the movement of real capital and technology across the borders. NIIP is also closely related to the current account balance, which is the net balance of a nation’s exports and imports, but unlike the current account balance, it covers both the current year and cumulative activity historically. The NIIP can also be used to analyse the net amount of capital flows between nations and help predict exchange rates.

NIIP is an essential tool for financial analysis and economic planning and can be used to assess the strength of a strong nation’s economy and improve economic performance. High net international investments are often seen as a sign of economic stability and could enable a nation to borrow more easily from the global capital markets. As such, nations should strive to achieve a positive NIIP position since it indicates that a nation has access to necessary capital and that its investments are secure.