Current account balance in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Current account balance was -2.6% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Current account balance in Saudi Arabia, 1971–2025
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2025, current account balance in Saudi Arabia stood at -2.6%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 97.8% on the previous year and up 67.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, current account balance in Saudi Arabia peaked at 50.7% in 1974 and was at its lowest, -20.8%, in 1991.
Saudi Arabia ranks 112th of 200 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Current account balance in Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 13.5% | — |
| 1972 | 21.6% | +59.9% |
| 1973 | 16.9% | -22.0% |
| 1974 | 50.7% | +200.8% |
| 1975 | 30.8% | -39.3% |
| 1976 | 22.4% | -27.1% |
| 1977 | 16.2% | -28.0% |
| 1978 | -2.8% | -117.1% |
| 1979 | 9.1% | -431.1% |
| 1980 | 25.2% | +176.5% |
| 1981 | 21.5% | -14.8% |
| 1982 | 4.9% | -77.0% |
| 1983 | -13.0% | -363.9% |
| 1984 | -15.4% | +17.9% |
| 1985 | -12.4% | -19.1% |
| 1986 | -13.6% | +8.9% |
| 1987 | -11.4% | -16.0% |
| 1988 | -8.3% | -27.1% |
| 1989 | -10.0% | +20.3% |
| 1990 | -3.5% | -64.7% |
| 1991 | -20.8% | +490.2% |
| 1992 | -12.9% | -37.9% |
| 1993 | -13.0% | +0.4% |
| 1994 | -7.7% | -40.3% |
| 1995 | -3.7% | -52.1% |
| 1996 | 0.4% | -111.5% |
| 1997 | 0.2% | -57.1% |
| 1998 | -8.9% | -4967.4% |
| 1999 | 0.3% | -102.8% |
| 2000 | 7.6% | +2872.6% |
| 2001 | 5.1% | -32.8% |
| 2002 | 6.3% | +23.3% |
| 2003 | 13.0% | +107.5% |
| 2004 | 20.1% | +54.4% |
| 2005 | 27.1% | +34.9% |
| 2006 | 27.4% | +1.4% |
| 2007 | 24.5% | -10.6% |
| 2008 | 27.8% | +13.4% |
| 2009 | 5.9% | -78.9% |
| 2010 | 13.5% | +130.1% |
| 2011 | 23.9% | +76.3% |
| 2012 | 22.8% | -4.3% |
| 2013 | 18.3% | -19.8% |
| 2014 | 9.9% | -46.2% |
| 2015 | -7.9% | -180.5% |
| 2016 | -3.9% | -50.7% |
| 2017 | 1.2% | -131.3% |
| 2018 | 7.9% | +544.6% |
| 2019 | 3.6% | -53.9% |
| 2020 | -4.5% | -223.9% |
| 2021 | 4.6% | -201.2% |
| 2022 | 11.7% | +156.7% |
| 2023 | 2.1% | -81.8% |
| 2024 | -1.3% | -160.9% |
| 2025 | -2.6% | +97.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 19.8% | -2.8% | 50.7% | 9 |
| 1980s | -3.2% | -15.4% | 25.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | -7.0% | -20.8% | 0.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 16.5% | 5.1% | 27.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.9% | -7.9% | 23.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.7% | -4.5% | 11.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
More economy & growth data for Saudi Arabia
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 2.26 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 3.52 Percent per annum (2029)
- Gross capital formation (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 3.93 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross capital formation (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.2241 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross capital formation (constant 2015 US$), per capita 7,740 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (current US$), annual growth rate 6.18 % change on previous year (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.2817 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (current US$), per capita 9,730 current US$ per person (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (current LCU), annual growth rate 6.18 % change on previous year (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (current LCU), per unit of GDP 1.06 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is current account balance in Saudi Arabia?
- Current account balance in Saudi Arabia was -2.6% in 2025, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest current account balance recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 50.7% in 1974.
- What is the lowest current account balance recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was -20.8% in 1991.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for current account balance?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 112th out of 200 countries with data for 2025.
- Is current account balance rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 67.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia data come from?
- The figures come from Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Current account balance (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Balance of current transactions (transactions in goods and services, earned income and transfer income) between residents and non-residents. The term current account balance is used in the external accounts and is expressed from the perspective of resident units. The term current external balance is used in the national accounts and is expressed from the perspective of the non-resident units, and therefore with the opposite sign. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.