Government balance sheet; assets and liabilities
Explanation of symbols
Table explanation
This table contains information on the balance sheet of the general government sector. The balance sheet shows stock levels of assets and financial liabilities, as well as net worth of the general government sector. Assets are either financial (e.g. loans) or non-financial (e.g. non-residential buildings). The stock of assets equals the sum of the stock of financial liabilities and net worth. Stocks of assets and liabilities in this table are mostly valued at market value. This is the value of the asset or liability as if it were being acquired or sold on the date to which the balance sheet relates. When there are no observable market prices, estimates are made for the market value. Financial assets and liabilities that are not commonly traded on a market, such as cash, deposits, loans and other accounts receivable/payable are valued at nominal value.
The figures in this table are consolidated at the general government level. This means that stocks between units that both belong to the general government sector are eliminated.
The terms and definitions used are in accordance with the framework of the Dutch national accounts. National accounts are based on the international definitions of the European System of Accounts (ESA 2010). Small temporary differences with publications of the National Accounts may occur due to the fact that the government finance statistics are sometimes more up to date.
Data available from: 1995
Status of the figures:
The figures for the period 1995-2021 are final. The figures for 2022 are provisional.
Changes as of 22 September 2023:
The figures for 2021 and 2022 have been revised. The financial assets and liabilities and the net saving and capital transfers of general government have been revised due to updated information.
Changes as of 31 August 2023:
Annual figures for 2022 are available. In the context of the revision policy of the National accounts the annual figures from 1995 of the financial accounts of general government have been revised. The figures are in line with the publications of the National accounts.
The annual figures for 2021 are final.
When will new figures be published?
New provisional data are published in July or August after the end of the reporting year. The previous provisional figures will become final and previous final figures can be revised at the same time. More information on the revision policy of National Accounts can be found under 'relevant articles' under paragraph 3.
Description topics
- Assets
- The assets recorded in the government balance sheet are economic assets. An economic asset is a store of value representing the benefits accruing to the economic owner by holding or using the entity over a period of time. It is a means of carrying forward value from one accounting period to another.
- Non-financial assets
- Non-financial assets are objects that have an economic value, on which property rights can be exerted and which do not have a financial character. In practice, this entails approximately all (non-financial) objects that can be sold. Examples of assets that cannot be sold are the sea and the air. Examples of assets that have a financial character are stocks and pensions. Non-financial assets consist of fixed assets, inventories, land and mineral reserves
- AN1131B Other road transport equipment
- Road transport vehicles other than passenger cars.
- AN11O Other tangible fixed assets
- Goods like furniture, racks, silos, storage tanks, containers, pallets, sports articles and music instruments.
- AN117O Other intangible fixed assets
- New information, specialised knowledge, etc. not elsewhere classified, whose use in production is restricted to the units which have established ownership rights over them or to other units licensed by the latter.
- Financial assets
- Financial assets are economic assets comprising financial claims, equity and the gold bullion component of monetary gold. Financial assets are stores of value representing benefits accruing to the economic owner by holding them over a period of time. They are means of carrying forward values from one accounting period to another. Benefits or series of benefits are exchanged by means of payment. Means of payment consist of monetary gold, special drawing rights, currency and transferable deposits. Financial claims, also called financial instruments, are financial assets that have corresponding liabilities.
- AF29 Other deposits
- Overige deposito's zijn andere deposito's dan girale deposito's. Overige deposito's kunnen niet worden gebruikt voor het verrichten van betalingen, behalve op de vervaldatum of na een overeengekomen opzegtermijn, en kunnen niet in chartaal geld of girale deposito's worden omgezet zonder enige aanzienlijke beperking of boete. Daarnaast omvatten overige deposito's tegoeden van de overheid die aangehouden worden bij de centrale overheid.
Other deposits include all deposits in euros and foreign currency at any resident and non-resident bank (except for saving deposits in euro's), which are not immediately transferable without restrictions.
- AF519 Other equity
- Other equity comprises all forms of equity other than those classified in sub-categories listed shares and unlisted shares.
- AF8 Other accounts receivable/payable
- Other accounts receivable/payable are financial claims arising from timing differences between distributive transactions or financial transactions on the secondary market and the corresponding payments.
Financial transactions in other accounts receivable/payable comprise:
- Trade credits and advances; and
- Other accounts receivable/payable, excluding trade credits and advances.
- Liabilities
- Sum of financial liabilities and net worth. Financial liabilities are established when debtors are obliged to provide payments or series of payments to creditors.
- Financial liabilities
- Financial liabilities are established when debtors are obliged to provide payments or series of payments to creditors.
- AF29 Other deposits
- Other deposits include all deposits in euros and foreign currency at any resident and non-resident bank (except for saving deposits in euro's), which are not immediately transferable without restrictions.
- AF8 Other accounts receivable/payable
- Other accounts receivable/payable are financial claims arising from timing differences between distributive transactions or financial transactions on the secondary market and the corresponding payments.
Financial transactions in other accounts receivable/payable comprise:
- Trade credits and advances; and
- Other accounts receivable/payable, excluding trade credits and advances.
- Net worth
- Net worth is the balancing item of assets and liabilities.
Positive net worth indicates that the assets are larger than the liabilities.- Changes in net worth
- The changes in net worth depict the development of net worth during the year.
Net worth is the balancing item of assets and liabilities. The change in net worth equals the sum of changes of assets and liabilities.- Other changes in net worth
- This mainly concerns revaluations of assets and financial liabilities. The changes are caused by, for example, revaluations or unilateral write-offs of bad debts. Furthermore, net worth changes due to the purchase or sale of non-financial assets that are not included in the government balance sheet but had a cost or delivered financial benefit. The latter affects net worth, due to the lack of a non-financial balance sheet item. An example of this are valuables held by the government. Statistical discrepancies are also included other changes in net worth.