External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP in Gambia
Gambia: External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP was -36.7% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP in Gambia, 1966–2025
Source: National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Gambia recorded -36.7% for external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 60 years on record.
The figure is down 48.8% on the previous year and down 174.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp in Gambia peaked at 1.1% in 1975 and was at its lowest, -36.7%, in 2025.
Gambia ranks 175th of 191 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP in Gambia, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1966 | -7.4% | — |
| 1967 | -6.7% | -10.0% |
| 1968 | -11.0% | +65.0% |
| 1969 | -10.7% | -2.8% |
| 1970 | -3.1% | -70.9% |
| 1971 | -4.8% | +54.4% |
| 1972 | -7.0% | +45.0% |
| 1973 | -7.3% | +4.2% |
| 1974 | -4.7% | -34.8% |
| 1975 | 1.1% | -123.1% |
| 1976 | -5.3% | -584.3% |
| 1977 | -10.8% | +103.5% |
| 1978 | -26.2% | +143.1% |
| 1979 | -28.3% | +8.0% |
| 1980 | -20.9% | -26.3% |
| 1981 | -22.8% | +9.3% |
| 1982 | -15.3% | -32.9% |
| 1983 | -12.0% | -21.6% |
| 1984 | -13.7% | +13.9% |
| 1985 | -10.1% | -26.4% |
| 1986 | -9.5% | -5.7% |
| 1987 | -9.9% | +4.2% |
| 1988 | -8.1% | -18.0% |
| 1989 | -10.2% | +26.3% |
| 1990 | -11.7% | +14.3% |
| 1991 | -5.2% | -55.3% |
| 1992 | -6.3% | +19.8% |
| 1993 | -8.2% | +31.8% |
| 1994 | -7.4% | -9.8% |
| 1995 | -11.7% | +57.7% |
| 1996 | -7.4% | -37.3% |
| 1997 | -2.5% | -66.7% |
| 1998 | -3.3% | +32.9% |
| 1999 | -3.6% | +11.0% |
| 2000 | -4.8% | +31.6% |
| 2001 | -3.3% | -31.0% |
| 2002 | -5.3% | +62.1% |
| 2003 | -6.7% | +25.2% |
| 2004 | -8.7% | +31.1% |
| 2005 | -10.2% | +16.8% |
| 2006 | -8.3% | -18.7% |
| 2007 | -8.2% | -0.9% |
| 2008 | -10.1% | +23.2% |
| 2009 | -10.3% | +1.4% |
| 2010 | -11.7% | +13.5% |
| 2011 | -8.9% | -23.6% |
| 2012 | -8.0% | -10.1% |
| 2013 | -7.5% | -6.4% |
| 2014 | -14.6% | +94.4% |
| 2015 | -13.4% | -8.3% |
| 2016 | -12.6% | -5.8% |
| 2017 | -18.8% | +49.0% |
| 2018 | -20.2% | +7.8% |
| 2019 | -15.7% | -22.6% |
| 2020 | -28.2% | +79.9% |
| 2021 | -28.9% | +2.4% |
| 2022 | -27.6% | -4.4% |
| 2023 | -25.9% | -6.3% |
| 2024 | -24.7% | -4.6% |
| 2025 | -36.7% | +48.8% |
Gambia compared with similar countries
- Gambia's -36.7% is below the median for low income countries, which is -11.3%, 3.2× the median. (22 countries reporting)
- Gambia's -36.7% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is -6.9%, 5.3× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP in Gambia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | -584.3% | 1.1% | -5.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | -8.9% | -11.0% | -6.7% | 4 |
| 1970s | -9.6% | -28.3% | 1.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | -13.2% | -22.8% | -8.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | -6.7% | -11.7% | -2.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | -7.6% | -10.3% | -3.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | -13.1% | -20.2% | -7.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | -28.6% | -36.7% | -24.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Gambia
More economy & growth data for Gambia
- Real gdp growth, annual growth rate 7.72 % change on previous year (2023)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 2.69 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 5.02 Percent per annum (2029)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate 50.95 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0378 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 34.71 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate 43.74 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0276 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 25.35 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.01 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp in Gambia?
- External balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp in Gambia was -36.7% in 2025, according to National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp recorded in Gambia?
- The highest recorded value was 1.1% in 1975.
- What is the lowest external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp recorded in Gambia?
- The lowest recorded value was -36.7% in 2025.
- How does Gambia rank for external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp?
- Gambia ranks 175th out of 191 countries with data for 2025.
- Is external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp rising or falling in Gambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 174.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Gambia data come from?
- The figures 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 part of External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Exports of goods and services minus imports of goods and services divided by gross domestic product, expressed as a percentage.