External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP in East Timor
East Timor: External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP was -74.3% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP in East Timor, 2000–2024
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
In 2024, external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp in East Timor stood at -74.3%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 71.0% on the previous year and down 1.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp in East Timor peaked at 27.2% in 2021 and was at its lowest, -164.8%, in 2002.
That places East Timor 190th out of 191 countries with data for 2024, putting it 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 East Timor, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | -154.4% | — |
| 2001 | -148.8% | -3.6% |
| 2002 | -164.8% | +10.8% |
| 2003 | -108.6% | -34.1% |
| 2004 | -92.4% | -14.9% |
| 2005 | -60.4% | -34.6% |
| 2006 | -80.4% | +33.1% |
| 2007 | -108.8% | +35.3% |
| 2008 | -116.6% | +7.2% |
| 2009 | -139.4% | +19.6% |
| 2010 | -117.3% | -15.8% |
| 2011 | -128.0% | +9.1% |
| 2012 | -114.3% | -10.7% |
| 2013 | -68.5% | -40.1% |
| 2014 | -73.6% | +7.5% |
| 2015 | -54.0% | -26.7% |
| 2016 | -54.0% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | -53.8% | -0.3% |
| 2018 | -59.0% | +9.5% |
| 2019 | -28.2% | -52.2% |
| 2020 | -11.4% | -59.5% |
| 2021 | 27.2% | -337.9% |
| 2022 | 13.6% | -49.9% |
| 2023 | -43.5% | -419.5% |
| 2024 | -74.3% | +71.0% |
East Timor compared with similar countries
- East Timor's -74.3% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is -9.2%, 8.1× the median. (45 countries reporting)
- East Timor's -74.3% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is -9.4%, 7.9× the median. (34 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP in East Timor 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | -419.5% | 13.6% | -43.5% |
| 2021 | +337.9% | -11.4% | 27.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | -117.4% | -164.8% | -60.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | -75.0% | -128.0% | -28.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | -17.7% | -74.3% | 27.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near East Timor
More economy & growth data for East Timor
- Real gdp growth, annual growth rate 83.93 % change on previous year (2024)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate 4.96 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0201 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 26.91 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate -0.0477 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0147 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 19.65 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.01 % change on previous year (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0153 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, per capita 20.52 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp in East Timor?
- External balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp in East Timor was -74.3% in 2024, 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 East Timor?
- The highest recorded value was 27.2% in 2021.
- What is the lowest external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp recorded in East Timor?
- The lowest recorded value was -164.8% in 2002.
- How does East Timor rank for external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp?
- East Timor ranks 190th out of 191 countries with data for 2024.
- Is external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp rising or falling in East Timor?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this East Timor 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Exports of goods and services minus imports of goods and services divided by gross domestic product, expressed as a percentage.