External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP in Ukraine
Ukraine: External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP was -26.5% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP in Ukraine, 1989–2025
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
Ukraine recorded -26.5% for external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 37 years on record.
The figure is down 30.3% on the previous year and down 915.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp in Ukraine peaked at 7.4% in 2004 and was at its lowest, -26.5%, in 2025.
Ukraine ranks 166th 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 Ukraine, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | -0.1% | — |
| 1990 | -1.1% | +1553.3% |
| 1991 | 2.2% | -301.7% |
| 1992 | 2.0% | -8.4% |
| 1993 | -0.3% | -115.7% |
| 1994 | -3.2% | +911.8% |
| 1995 | -3.1% | -2.6% |
| 1996 | -2.6% | -17.2% |
| 1997 | -3.1% | +19.8% |
| 1998 | -2.3% | -25.7% |
| 1999 | 5.5% | -339.9% |
| 2000 | 4.9% | -11.0% |
| 2001 | 1.4% | -71.8% |
| 2002 | 4.2% | +209.3% |
| 2003 | 2.5% | -41.2% |
| 2004 | 7.4% | +196.9% |
| 2005 | 0.8% | -89.0% |
| 2006 | -2.7% | -438.0% |
| 2007 | -5.5% | +99.2% |
| 2008 | -7.7% | +40.0% |
| 2009 | -1.6% | -78.8% |
| 2010 | -2.8% | +74.0% |
| 2011 | -6.0% | +112.8% |
| 2012 | -7.9% | +31.1% |
| 2013 | -8.2% | +4.5% |
| 2014 | -3.5% | -57.3% |
| 2015 | -2.6% | -25.5% |
| 2016 | -6.9% | +165.2% |
| 2017 | -7.8% | +12.4% |
| 2018 | -8.7% | +12.1% |
| 2019 | -8.0% | -7.8% |
| 2020 | -1.5% | -81.2% |
| 2021 | -1.3% | -12.7% |
| 2022 | -16.5% | +1149.3% |
| 2023 | -20.9% | +26.7% |
| 2024 | -20.3% | -2.7% |
| 2025 | -26.5% | +30.3% |
Ukraine compared with similar countries
- Ukraine's -26.5% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is -4.0%, 6.6× the median. (52 countries reporting)
- Ukraine's -26.5% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.8%. (51 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP in Ukraine 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | -1553.3% | -0.1% | -1.1% |
| 2022 | -1149.3% | -1.3% | -16.5% |
| 1994 | -911.8% | -0.3% | -3.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | -0.1% | -0.1% | -0.1% | 1 |
| 1990s | -0.6% | -3.2% | 5.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.4% | -7.7% | 7.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | -6.2% | -8.7% | -2.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | -14.5% | -26.5% | -1.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Ukraine
More economy & growth data for Ukraine
- Real gdp growth, annual growth rate -41.32 % change on previous year (2024)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 4.93 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 4.2 Percent per annum (2029)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate -98.66 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 0.3789 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate -98.73 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 0.2767 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate -3.39 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp in Ukraine?
- External balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp in Ukraine was -26.5% 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 Ukraine?
- The highest recorded value was 7.4% in 2004.
- What is the lowest external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp recorded in Ukraine?
- The lowest recorded value was -26.5% in 2025.
- How does Ukraine rank for external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp?
- Ukraine ranks 166th out of 191 countries with data for 2025.
- Is external balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp rising or falling in Ukraine?
- Over the last ten years it is down 915.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Ukraine 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 — 37 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.