Switzerland’s international economic affairs statistics (balance of payments, international investment position, direct investment, operational data on multinational enterprises) are an important macroeconomic basis for Swiss businesses, and the political and academic communities. They are also a prerequisite for Switzerland’s membership in the International Monetary Fund and part of the bilateral agreement on statistics between Switzerland and the European Union. Under the National Bank Act, the Swiss National Bank is tasked with compiling these statistics and collecting the necessary data. The surveys on cross-border capital linkages (INV) are a key part of this data collection.

Users of these statistics expect them not only to reflect current economic activities, but also to comply with international standards. The present surveys (INP, INA, INQ) have remained unchanged since 2014 and now no longer fully meet these requirements.

Content changes

The content-related changes ensure that the surveys meet the current requirements for drawing up international economic affairs statistics. This means that the surveys will be expanded in certain places and shortened in others. The most important points are summarised below. The following table gives a complete overview of the planned changes and explains the reasons for them.

Reduction in the number of surveys

Until now, large companies have completed a quarterly survey (INQ) and an annual survey (INP). There have been two annual surveys (INP and INA) for the remaining companies. Reporting requirements depend on the size of the capital stocks abroad. As part of the revision, the annual INA survey is being discontinued, so that the remaining companies will only have to complete one annual survey. The reporting requirements for large companies remain unchanged.

Expanded collection of data on the corporate result and statement of changes in equity

Until now, summary information has been collected for the statistically relevant result. In future, the annual result will be recorded, supplemented by details on the financial result and other items from the profit and loss account that are required to derive the statistically relevant result. Similarly, the statement of changes in equity will be revised to bring it more closely into line with the statement of comprehensive income. These changes are intended to more closely align the survey with companies’ accounting practice and to simplify the checking of the data collected.

Expanded collection of derivatives data

Until now, derivatives data has been collected without any detailed breakdown. This does not meet international requirements and makes data verification more difficult. In future, both turnover and stocks will be broken down by country, currency and derivative type (options, futures/forwards, swaps).

To minimise the burden on companies, a reporting threshold will be introduced: Only companies with significant derivatives stocks or turnover will be required to report derivatives in future.

Expanded collection of balance sheet figures for the resident group

The only balance sheet figure currently recorded for the resident group is equity capital. In future, the survey will also include domestic and foreign breakdowns of the balance sheet total and other important balance sheet items.

With the additional information, the SNB will be able to verify data more efficiently, without having to contact the companies directly – which in the past often led to time-consuming follow-up questions.

Other content-related changes

In addition to the above-mentioned changes, further adjustments have been made. For example, data on debt securities will in future no longer be collected separately by counterparty, but in aggregate form.

Furthermore, until now the INQ and INA surveys collected information on certain items for each country in six different currencies (cross-tabulation of countries and currencies). In future, data on these items will be collected once per country and once by currency, which will reduce the survey size.

As part of this revision, the notes to the surveys are also being reworked to improve understanding.

Technical changes

The revision will standardise the survey instruments for the international economic affairs statistics: The surveys on capital linkages (INV) will be switched from MS Excel to the web table tool eTable, which is already being used for the current account survey (CAS). The web tables are based on a subject-specific data model and enable the survey content to be displayed in machine-readable CSV/XML files. In this way the surveys can be completed automatically via an interface to internal reporting tools and displayed, checked and submitted via the eSurvey online reporting portal.

Detailed instructions and the survey keys required for automation will be provided at a later date.

The SNB will regularly inform the reporting institutions on the status of the revision process and the timetable for the changeover to the new surveys.

As a next step, the SNB will draw up the final surveys. To ensure that the surveys are as user-friendly as possible and that the items and terms used are in line with companies’ accounting practice, the reporting institutions will be actively involved in the revision process. To this end, the SNB will invite a selected group of companies with different characteristics to feedback discussions.

In addition, it will test the revised survey sections in pilot surveys with selected companies. The SNB will contact the companies concerned directly.

All reporting institutions are invited to submit their feedback and any questions to the SNB. In order to take into account the findings gained in the feedback process, the SNB may make further adjustments to selected items and to the design of the survey documents.

2026, Q2

Pilot survey 1 of selected reporting institutions on revised key figures.

2026, Q4

All reporting institutions informed about the revised survey.
Survey content made available as web tables.

2027, Q2

Transition phase for adjustments to reporting institutions’ processes.
Pilot survey 2 of selected reporting institutions on revised key figures.

2027, Q3/Q4

First implementation of new quarterly survey as of reference date 30 September 2027 and new annual survey as of reference date 31 December 2027.

INA, annual survey

INQ, quarterly survey

INP, annual survey