The Financial Accounts measure the total financial assets and financial liabilities of the economy's institutional sectors and the value of transactions between the institutional sectors.
The economy's four institutional sectors are: households, financial corporations (banks, insurance companies etc.), non-financial corporations, and the general government. Financial assets and liabilities are non-physical claims and obligations that derive from contractual arrangements, for example deposits, loans, bonds, stocks etc. Physical assets, such as machines, houses, etc., are not measured in the financial accounts.
The next graph shows the evolution of financial assets and liabilities of households and the breakdown of househods' financial assets.
The next graph shows the evolution of financial assets and liabilities of non-financial corporations and the breakdown of their financial liabilities. Most of the assets of non-financial corporations are physical assets (e.g. plants, equipment etc.) and these assets are not captured by the financial accounts. Most of the liabilities, however, are financial liabilities (e.g. loans) and are captured in the financial accounts. Therefore, the net financial position of firms is negative, even though their overall position, including physical assets, might be positive.
The graph shows the evolution of banks' financial assets and liabilities, as well as their breakdown.
The graph shows the evolution of the general government's financial assets and liabilities, and the breakdown of liabilities.