Germany vs Sweden: External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP
Germany
2.4%
in 2025
Sweden
2.1%
in 2025
Germany rank
60th
Sweden rank
63rd
External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP over time
- Germany
- Sweden
How they compare
Germany currently reports 2.4% against 2.1% in Sweden, a difference of 0.3%.
That makes Germany's figure about 1.1 times Sweden's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 56 shared years of data; in 1970 it was Sweden ahead.
Germany ranks 60th and Sweden ranks 63rd of 191 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, Germany averaged higher in 2 and Sweden in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Germany | Sweden | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | -1.8% | 0.4% | 2.2% | Sweden |
| 1980s | -2.1% | 1.3% | 3.4% | Sweden |
| 1990s | 0.3% | 3.9% | 3.7% | Sweden |
| 2000s | 4.1% | 5.7% | 1.6% | Sweden |
| 2010s | 6.1% | 3.3% | 2.8% | Germany |
| 2020s | 3.8% | 2.9% | 0.9% | Germany |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp, Germany or Sweden?
- Germany, at 2.4% against 2.1% in Sweden as of 2025.
- What is the difference in external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp between Germany and Sweden?
- 0.3%, with Germany ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Germany and Sweden?
- 56 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2025.
- How do Germany and Sweden rank globally for external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp?
- Germany ranks 60th and Sweden ranks 63rd of 191 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Exports of goods and services minus imports of goods and services divided by gross domestic product, expressed as a percentage.