Eurozone current account surplus grows: ECB

FRANKFURT, Dec 19 (AFP): The eurozone's current account surplus grew to 21.8 billion euros ($29.8 billion) in October from 14.9 billion euros in September, European Central Bank data showed on Thursday.

The current account on the balance of payments, which includes payments for imports and exports in both goods and services plus all other current transfers, is a closely tracked indicator of the ability of a country or area to pay its way in the world.

It is crucial for the long-term confidence of investors and trading partners, and an important factor in the value of a currency, in this case the euro, on the foreign exchange market.

Over the 12 months to October, the current account showed a surplus of 208.3 billion euros, compared with a surplus of 109.8 billion euros a year earlier, the data showed.