In a year of strong worldwide economic growth, the overall sum of the balance of payments accounts for all countries is:

The sum of the balance of payments accounts for all countries is fundamentally designed to equal zero. This is because the balance of payments is an accounting framework that captures all financial transactions made between residents of a country and the rest of the world over a specific period.

Every country's balance of payments consists of two primary accounts: the current account, which records transactions related to goods, services, income, and current transfers, and the capital account, which records transactions in financial assets and liabilities. The accounting identity states that when one country incurs a deficit (i.e., spending more on foreign goods and services than it earns from its exports), another country must have a corresponding surplus. Thus, when aggregating the balance of payments for all countries globally, the totals from each country will offset each other, resulting in a sum of zero.

It’s important to note that while individual countries may experience deficits or surpluses, the overall global balance will always balance out to zero, demonstrating the interconnectedness of the global economy. Therefore, in any given year, regardless of the strength or weakness of economic growth, the cumulative balance of payments for all countries must equal zero.