External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP in Pakistan
Pakistan: External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP was -7.2% in 2025. ▼ Falling
External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP in Pakistan, 1960–2025
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
Pakistan recorded -7.2% for external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp in 2025.
That represents a change of down 6.3% on the previous year and down 7.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp in Pakistan peaked at 0.5% in 1973 and was at its lowest, -12.0%, in 1985.
That places Pakistan 121st out of 191 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP in Pakistan, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | -6.0% | — |
| 1961 | -7.8% | +29.1% |
| 1962 | -7.7% | -1.4% |
| 1963 | -7.6% | -0.7% |
| 1964 | -7.7% | +0.6% |
| 1965 | -9.9% | +29.3% |
| 1966 | -5.4% | -45.8% |
| 1967 | -6.7% | +23.7% |
| 1968 | -4.1% | -38.9% |
| 1969 | -3.6% | -10.5% |
| 1970 | -2.7% | -24.9% |
| 1971 | -2.8% | +0.9% |
| 1972 | -1.5% | -46.7% |
| 1973 | 0.5% | -136.6% |
| 1974 | -3.7% | -784.2% |
| 1975 | -9.0% | +145.0% |
| 1976 | -7.7% | -15.1% |
| 1977 | -8.5% | +11.3% |
| 1978 | -9.1% | +6.4% |
| 1979 | -10.8% | +19.0% |
| 1980 | -10.7% | -0.5% |
| 1981 | -9.5% | -11.4% |
| 1982 | -10.9% | +15.2% |
| 1983 | -10.3% | -5.6% |
| 1984 | -10.6% | +2.4% |
| 1985 | -12.0% | +13.9% |
| 1986 | -7.8% | -35.1% |
| 1987 | -5.3% | -32.5% |
| 1988 | -5.6% | +5.5% |
| 1989 | -6.3% | +12.8% |
| 1990 | -5.5% | -13.1% |
| 1991 | -1.6% | -71.5% |
| 1992 | -3.2% | +102.8% |
| 1993 | -6.1% | +93.3% |
| 1994 | -2.7% | -55.0% |
| 1995 | -2.7% | -1.0% |
| 1996 | -4.5% | +66.8% |
| 1997 | -4.7% | +3.6% |
| 1998 | -1.0% | -77.8% |
| 1999 | -1.6% | +54.8% |
| 2000 | -2.2% | +36.4% |
| 2001 | -2.3% | +5.6% |
| 2002 | -0.6% | -74.1% |
| 2003 | -0.3% | -46.8% |
| 2004 | -2.0% | +511.6% |
| 2005 | -5.4% | +173.9% |
| 2006 | -8.0% | +47.9% |
| 2007 | -7.5% | -5.2% |
| 2008 | -10.6% | +40.6% |
| 2009 | -8.5% | -19.4% |
| 2010 | -6.7% | -21.4% |
| 2011 | -5.4% | -19.6% |
| 2012 | -7.6% | +40.3% |
| 2013 | -6.5% | -13.7% |
| 2014 | -7.1% | +8.3% |
| 2015 | -6.7% | -4.8% |
| 2016 | -7.2% | +7.3% |
| 2017 | -9.0% | +24.9% |
| 2018 | -10.5% | +15.9% |
| 2019 | -10.1% | -3.2% |
| 2020 | -8.1% | -19.8% |
| 2021 | -8.9% | +10.0% |
| 2022 | -12.0% | +33.9% |
| 2023 | -7.5% | -37.4% |
| 2024 | -6.8% | -9.2% |
| 2025 | -7.2% | +6.3% |
Pakistan compared with similar countries
- Pakistan's -7.2% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is -9.2%, 79% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Pakistan's -7.2% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is -5.3%, 1.4× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP in Pakistan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | -784.2% | 0.5% | -3.7% |
| 2004 | -511.6% | -0.3% | -2.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | -6.7% | -9.9% | -3.6% | 10 |
| 1970s | -5.5% | -10.8% | 0.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | -8.9% | -12.0% | -5.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | -3.4% | -6.1% | -1.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | -4.7% | -10.6% | -0.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | -7.7% | -10.5% | -5.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | -8.4% | -12.0% | -6.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Pakistan
More economy & growth data for Pakistan
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 3.11 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 5 Percent per annum (2029)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 267.00 million BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0007 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 1.05 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 1.85 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual -30.51 % change on previous year (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0045 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 7.26 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 43.72 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp in Pakistan?
- External balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp in Pakistan was -7.2% 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 Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 0.5% in 1973.
- What is the lowest external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was -12.0% in 1985.
- How does Pakistan rank for external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp?
- Pakistan ranks 121st out of 191 countries with data for 2025.
- Is external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Pakistan 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.