Accounting statistics, non-financial enterprises foreign financing, 2008

NOK 804 billion, about 64 per cent, of the foreign assets were in European countries. With NOK 191 billion, Belgium had the largest share. This must be seen in connection with Statoil Internal Bank, headquartered in Belgium. After Belgium, the USA is the second largest country, with assets worth NOK 167 billion. Norwegian non-financial companies’ holdings in Sweden, the third largest country, stood at NOK 140 billion.

NOK 945 billion in foreign liabilities

Total foreign liabilities of the non-financial companies at the end of 2008 were NOK 945 billion.

Liabilities have increased by 65 per cent since 2005. Belgium, where the companies had liabilities

amounting to NOK 199 billion in 2008, is the country in which Norwegian non-financial companies are most indebted. Other countries in which Norwegian non-financial companies have large liabilities, are the UK and USA. Non-financial companies had liabilities worth NOK 145 billion and NOK 115 billion in 2008 respectively.

Balance between assets and liabilities

The balance between assets and liabilities varies greatly among countries. The Netherlands, Sweden, the USA and Singapore are countries where non-financial enterprises have the largest net worth. In the UK, Germany, Luxembourg and China, equity is negative.

Tables:

• Table 1 Assets and liabilities in foreign countries, by category. NOK million
• Table 2 Assets and liabilities in foreign countries, by continent in NOK millions. Preliminary figures 2008