The surplus in the merchandise and services balance was in the first eight months of this year NOK 61.5 billion, NOK 20.7 billion more compared with the same period in 1995. The breakdown of the goods and services surplus in 1996 is respectively NOK 54.2 billion and NOK 7.3 billion.
According to preliminary figures, Norway's current account surplus totalled NOK 8.1 billion in August 1996. The strong growth in the current external surplus from the previous month is the result of extremely high oil and gas income in August, along with a simultaneous decline in imports. For the period January to August 1996, the surplus amounted to NOK 46.4 billion. The same period last year produced a NOK 23 billion surplus.