Current account balance in United States of America
United States of America: Current account balance was -3.6% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Current account balance in United States of America, 1970–2025
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
United States of America recorded -3.6% for current account balance in 2025.
The figure is up 10.3% on the previous year and down 62.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, current account balance in United States of America peaked at 1.1% in 1975 and was at its lowest, -5.9%, in 2006.
That places United States of America 130th out of 200 countries with data for 2025, putting it 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 United States of America, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 0.2% | — |
| 1971 | -0.1% | -134.5% |
| 1972 | -0.4% | +388.8% |
| 1973 | 0.5% | -229.3% |
| 1974 | 0.1% | -79.3% |
| 1975 | 1.1% | +864.6% |
| 1976 | 0.2% | -80.7% |
| 1977 | -0.7% | -453.9% |
| 1978 | -0.7% | -7.7% |
| 1979 | -0.0% | -99.1% |
| 1980 | 0.1% | -1348.1% |
| 1981 | 0.1% | +101.5% |
| 1982 | -0.3% | -331.4% |
| 1983 | -1.2% | +250.6% |
| 1984 | -2.5% | +101.5% |
| 1985 | -2.9% | +17.0% |
| 1986 | -3.2% | +12.0% |
| 1987 | -3.3% | +3.0% |
| 1988 | -2.3% | -30.0% |
| 1989 | -1.8% | -23.8% |
| 1990 | -1.3% | -24.9% |
| 1991 | 0.0% | -103.5% |
| 1992 | -0.8% | -1809.5% |
| 1993 | -1.2% | +56.2% |
| 1994 | -1.7% | +35.0% |
| 1995 | -1.5% | -11.0% |
| 1996 | -1.5% | +3.9% |
| 1997 | -1.6% | +6.2% |
| 1998 | -2.4% | +44.6% |
| 1999 | -3.0% | +25.4% |
| 2000 | -3.9% | +31.8% |
| 2001 | -3.7% | -5.0% |
| 2002 | -4.2% | +12.1% |
| 2003 | -4.6% | +9.2% |
| 2004 | -5.2% | +14.2% |
| 2005 | -5.7% | +10.4% |
| 2006 | -5.9% | +2.9% |
| 2007 | -5.1% | -13.9% |
| 2008 | -4.7% | -7.3% |
| 2009 | -2.6% | -44.4% |
| 2010 | -2.9% | +9.4% |
| 2011 | -2.9% | +1.7% |
| 2012 | -2.6% | -11.9% |
| 2013 | -2.0% | -21.8% |
| 2014 | -2.1% | +4.5% |
| 2015 | -2.2% | +6.3% |
| 2016 | -2.1% | -5.6% |
| 2017 | -1.9% | -11.0% |
| 2018 | -2.1% | +13.4% |
| 2019 | -2.1% | -3.5% |
| 2020 | -2.8% | +35.3% |
| 2021 | -3.6% | +30.3% |
| 2022 | -3.8% | +5.3% |
| 2023 | -3.3% | -12.5% |
| 2024 | -4.0% | +21.2% |
| 2025 | -3.6% | -10.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.0% | -0.7% | 1.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | -1.7% | -3.3% | 0.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | -1.5% | -3.0% | 0.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | -4.6% | -5.9% | -2.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | -2.3% | -2.9% | -1.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | -3.5% | -4.0% | -2.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near United States of America
- 127 El Salvador -3.5% compare
- 128 New Zealand -3.6% compare
- 129 Slovakia -3.6% compare
- 131 Cambodia -3.6% compare
- 132 Egypt -3.8% compare
- 133 Uzbekistan -3.9% compare
More economy & growth data for United States of America
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.63 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.12 Percent per annum (2029)
- Total reserves minus gold (current US$), annual growth rate 6.81 % change on previous year (2025)
- Total reserves minus gold (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.0079 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Total reserves minus gold (current US$), per capita 711.77 current US$ per person (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$) 6 % change on previous year (2024)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$), per 0.1363 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$), per 11,741 current US$ per person (2024)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current LCU) 6 % change on previous year (2024)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current LCU), per 0.1363 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is current account balance in United States of America?
- Current account balance in United States of America was -3.6% 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 United States of America?
- The highest recorded value was 1.1% in 1975.
- What is the lowest current account balance recorded in United States of America?
- The lowest recorded value was -5.9% in 2006.
- How does United States of America rank for current account balance?
- United States of America ranks 130th out of 200 countries with data for 2025.
- Is current account balance rising or falling in United States of America?
- Over the last ten years it is down 62.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this United States of America 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.