Foreign trade in services, quarter 1 2025
Continued deficit in foreign trade in services
Statistical news from Statistics Sweden 2025-06-04 8.00
Both exports and imports of services increased during the first quarter of the year, compared to the same period last year. However, the trade deficit remained, widening further from last year’s levels.
Import of services increased more
Trade in services continued to grow during the first quarter of 2025. Exports of services increased by 6 percent compared to the same quarter the year before, while imports increased by 8 percent (based on nominal prices).
Sweden’s exports of services were valued at SEK 310 billion in the first quarter of 2025, while the value of imports was SEK 328 billion. This resulted in a deficit of SEK 18 billion. The corresponding figure for the same quarter last year was a deficit of SEK 10 billion.
The trade in services is measured in nominal prices using Swedish krona (SEK). Adjustments for inflation or currency effects are therefore not made.
Other business services grew most in value
The aggregate other business services[1] is the largest type of service in terms of value, which means that it often influences the overall development significantly. This was also the case during the first quarter of the year, with the largest increases by value in both exports and imports occurring within other business services. The export of other business services increased by 11 percent while the import increased by 7 percent.
Another significant contribution to the increase in exports came from telecommunications, computer, and information services, largely due to computer services. For imports, it was primarily charges for the use of intellectual property that accounted for a substantial value increase.
Services trade deficit persists
For yet another quarter, the services trade balance (net) remains negative, a trend ongoing since the third quarter of 2021. The import of services was thus larger than the export of services. The type of service that mainly contributed to the negative balance during the first quarter of the year was charges for the use of intellectual property, where imports were more than twice as large as the corresponding export. It is however worth mentioning that intellectual property rights are, among other things, used to produce export goods and other types of exported services.
Two other types of services that strongly contributed to the quarter’s negative balance were other business services and travel. Travel refers to consumption while travelling abroad, and the negative balance indicates that Swedes spend more abroad than foreign visitors spend in Sweden. This quarter is no exception, travel consistently contributes negatively to the trade balance.
Two types of services that instead contributed strongly on the positive side to the balance during the quarter were personal, cultural, and recreational services as well as telecommunications, computer, and information services, where the latter was primarily driven by computer services.
[1] An aggregate that includes research and development (R&D), marketing, and technical, trade-related and other business services.
| Exports | Imports | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service item | Share in % | Change in % | Share in % | Change in % | |||||
| 2025Q1 | 2024Q1 | 2025Q1 | 2025Q1/2024Q1 | 2025Q1 | 2024Q1 | 2025Q1 | 2025Q1/2024Q1 | ||
| Total | 309 874 | 292 800 | 100.0 | 5.8 | 328 316 | 303 090 | 100.0 | 8.3 | |
| Manufacturing services | 15 281 | 18 275 | 4.9 | ‑16.4 | 9 805 | 7 681 | 3.0 | 27.7 | |
| Maintenance and repair services | 1 237 | 1 117 | 0.4 | 10.7 | 4 966 | 5 231 | 1.5 | ‑5.1 | |
| Transport | 36 658 | 35 327 | 11.8 | 3.8 | 41 605 | 38 933 | 12.7 | 6.9 | |
| Travel | 21 792 | 20 672 | 7.0 | 5.4 | 31 894 | 30 467 | 9.7 | 4.7 | |
| Construction | 2 455 | 2 188 | 0.8 | 12.2 | 6 034 | 4 247 | 1.8 | 42.1 | |
| Insurance and pension services | 2 480 | 3 595 | 0.8 | ‑31.0 | 2 186 | 1 869 | 0.7 | 17.0 | |
| Financial services | 13 936 | 13 102 | 4.5 | 6.4 | 6 476 | 7 079 | 2.0 | ‑8.5 | |
| Charges for the use of intellectual property | 25 205 | 24 221 | 8.1 | 4.1 | 52 486 | 45 639 | 16.0 | 15.0 | |
| Telecommunications, computer, and information services | 60 458 | 56 636 | 19.5 | 6.7 | 49 302 | 46 073 | 15.0 | 7.0 | |
| Other business services | 99 813 | 90 145 | 32.2 | 10.7 | 116 453 | 108 932 | 35.5 | 6.9 | |
| Personal, cultural, and recreational services | 28 679 | 25 240 | 9.3 | 13.6 | 6 451 | 6 294 | 2.0 | 2.5 | |
| Government goods and services | 1 883 | 2 282 | 0.6 | ‑17.5 | 657 | 644 | 0.2 | 2.0 | |
Revisions
Quarter 4 2024 has been revised in accordance with the regular revision schedule. Exports of services were revised up by SEK 325 million, while imports were revised down by SEK 811 million. The net was revised up by just over SEK 1.1 billion.
The foreign trade in services data are revised according to a revision schedule. In connection with the publication of quarter 1 to quarter 3, the previous quarter’s data are revised. In connection with the publication of quarter 4, the seven previous quarters are revised. If necessary, revisions can also be made outside the regular revision schedule. Revisions are primarily a result of late submissions or amended information from respondents but can also be due to changes in statistical models.
The data should be considered preliminary before being revised according to the regular revision schedule.
Definitions and explanations
What is foreign trade in services?
The statistics on foreign trade in services is a presentation of all Swedish transactions related to trade in services with the rest of the world. These statistics are reported quarterly and form the basis for both the National Accounts and the current account in Balance of Payments. The section More information contains an explanation on why trade in services in the National Accounts and the Balance of Payments sometimes differ from this statistic.
Next publishing will be
2025-09-02, 08:00.
Feel free to use the facts from this statistical news but remember to state Source: Statistics Sweden.