Korea vs Malaysia: External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP
Korea
5.2%
in 2025
Malaysia
5.5%
in 2025
Korea rank
39th
Malaysia rank
36th
External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP over time
- Korea
- Malaysia
How they compare
Malaysia currently reports 5.5% against 5.2% in Korea, a difference of 0.3%.
That makes Malaysia's figure about 1.1 times Korea's.
The two have swapped places 6 times across 66 shared years of data; in 1960 it was Malaysia ahead.
Korea ranks 39th and Malaysia ranks 36th of 191 countries.
Malaysia has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Korea | Malaysia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | -10.0% | 5.2% | 15.2% | Malaysia |
| 1970s | -6.5% | 4.3% | 10.8% | Malaysia |
| 1980s | -0.5% | 2.6% | 3.1% | Malaysia |
| 1990s | 0.6% | 4.3% | 3.8% | Malaysia |
| 2000s | 1.6% | 20.0% | 18.5% | Malaysia |
| 2010s | 3.9% | 9.5% | 5.6% | Malaysia |
| 2020s | 2.8% | 6.1% | 3.3% | Malaysia |
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, Korea or Malaysia?
- Malaysia, at 5.5% against 5.2% in Korea as of 2025.
- What is the difference in external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp between Korea and Malaysia?
- 0.3%, with Malaysia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Korea and Malaysia?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do Korea and Malaysia rank globally for external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp?
- Korea ranks 39th and Malaysia ranks 36th 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.