The technology balance of payments brings together some items of the balance of payments that refer to international trade in technology other than physical goods (disembodied technology); the taxonomy has been defined by the OECD. Data are compiled by Banca d'Italia and transmitted annually to the OECD, on the basis of the statistical standards set out by the 6th IMF Manual (BPM6).
In 2018 Italy's overall technology balance of payments was positive for the seventh consecutive year and equal to €1.3 billion, a historically high level even if lower than the previous year. The manufacturing sector continues to record a surplus, more than in the previous year; the deficit in the services sector, on the other hand, widened to almost zero in 2017. In international comparison, Italy's disembodied technology flows are, in relation to GDP, lower than the European average, although in recent years they represent one of the most dynamic components of trade in services in our country.
