External balance on goods and services (current LCU) in China
China: External balance on goods and services (current LCU) was 5.87 trillion current LCU in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
5.87 trillion current LCU
Change on year
up 48.6%
World rank
9th
of 193 countries
All-time high
5.87 trillion current LCU
in 2025
All-time low
-94.59 billion current LCU
in 1993
Years of data
66
1960–2025
External balance on goods and services in China, 1960–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks. Measured in current LCU.
Analysis
In 2025, external balance on goods and services in China stood at 5.87 trillion current LCU. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 48.6% on the previous year and up 162.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external balance on goods and services in China peaked at 5.87 trillion current LCU in 2025 and was at its lowest, -94.59 billion current LCU, in 1993.
That places China 9th out of 193 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
External balance on goods and services (current LCU) in China, year by year
| Year | current LCU | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | -18.54 million current LCU | — |
| 1961 | 240.08 million current LCU | -1395.1% |
| 1962 | 929.70 million current LCU | +287.3% |
| 1963 | 1.12 billion current LCU | +20.7% |
| 1964 | 1.13 billion current LCU | +0.5% |
| 1965 | 812.84 million current LCU | -27.9% |
| 1966 | 456.17 million current LCU | -43.9% |
| 1967 | 581.04 million current LCU | +27.4% |
| 1968 | 663.41 million current LCU | +14.2% |
| 1969 | 1.19 billion current LCU | +79.3% |
| 1970 | 178.88 million current LCU | -85.0% |
| 1971 | 1.17 billion current LCU | +556.9% |
| 1972 | 1.39 billion current LCU | +18.6% |
| 1973 | 1.40 billion current LCU | +0.1% |
| 1974 | -986.69 million current LCU | -170.7% |
| 1975 | -707.62 million current LCU | -28.3% |
| 1976 | 176.26 million current LCU | -124.9% |
| 1977 | 391.39 million current LCU | +122.0% |
| 1978 | -3.59 billion current LCU | -1018.0% |
| 1979 | -3.62 billion current LCU | +0.7% |
| 1980 | -5.85 billion current LCU | +61.7% |
| 1981 | 5.42 billion current LCU | -192.6% |
| 1982 | 12.61 billion current LCU | +132.7% |
| 1983 | 6.71 billion current LCU | -46.8% |
| 1984 | 151.20 million current LCU | -97.7% |
| 1985 | -36.75 billion current LCU | -24407.5% |
| 1986 | -25.50 billion current LCU | -30.6% |
| 1987 | 1.30 billion current LCU | -105.1% |
| 1988 | -19.74 billion current LCU | -1620.7% |
| 1989 | -24.34 billion current LCU | +23.3% |
| 1990 | 55.79 billion current LCU | -329.2% |
| 1991 | 66.59 billion current LCU | +19.4% |
| 1992 | 31.84 billion current LCU | -52.2% |
| 1993 | -94.59 billion current LCU | -397.1% |
| 1994 | 63.41 billion current LCU | -167.0% |
| 1995 | 99.87 billion current LCU | +57.5% |
| 1996 | 145.91 billion current LCU | +46.1% |
| 1997 | 355.00 billion current LCU | +143.3% |
| 1998 | 362.92 billion current LCU | +2.2% |
| 1999 | 253.65 billion current LCU | -30.1% |
| 2000 | 238.30 billion current LCU | -6.1% |
| 2001 | 232.47 billion current LCU | -2.4% |
| 2002 | 309.42 billion current LCU | +33.1% |
| 2003 | 296.49 billion current LCU | -4.2% |
| 2004 | 423.56 billion current LCU | +42.9% |
| 2005 | 1.02 trillion current LCU | +141.1% |
| 2006 | 1.67 trillion current LCU | +63.1% |
| 2007 | 2.34 trillion current LCU | +40.7% |
| 2008 | 2.42 trillion current LCU | +3.4% |
| 2009 | 1.50 trillion current LCU | -38.0% |
| 2010 | 1.51 trillion current LCU | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 1.17 trillion current LCU | -22.4% |
| 2012 | 1.46 trillion current LCU | +25.2% |
| 2013 | 1.46 trillion current LCU | -0.6% |
| 2014 | 1.36 trillion current LCU | -6.5% |
| 2015 | 2.23 trillion current LCU | +64.2% |
| 2016 | 1.70 trillion current LCU | -24.0% |
| 2017 | 1.46 trillion current LCU | -14.1% |
| 2018 | 605.28 billion current LCU | -58.5% |
| 2019 | 830.06 billion current LCU | +37.1% |
| 2020 | 2.28 trillion current LCU | +174.5% |
| 2021 | 2.61 trillion current LCU | +14.8% |
| 2022 | 3.63 trillion current LCU | +38.9% |
| 2023 | 2.67 trillion current LCU | -26.4% |
| 2024 | 3.95 trillion current LCU | +47.7% |
| 2025 | 5.87 trillion current LCU | +48.6% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 5.87 trillion current LCU is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is -2.10 billion current LCU. (53 countries reporting)
- China's 5.87 trillion current LCU is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is -190.00 million current LCU. (34 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where External balance on goods and services (current LCU) in China 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | -24407.5% | 151.20 million current LCU | -36.75 billion current LCU |
| 1988 | -1620.7% | 1.30 billion current LCU | -19.74 billion current LCU |
| 1961 | +1395.1% | -18.54 million current LCU | 240.08 million current LCU |
| 1978 | -1018.0% | 391.39 million current LCU | -3.59 billion current LCU |
| 1971 | +556.9% | 178.88 million current LCU | 1.17 billion current LCU |
| 1993 | -397.1% | 31.84 billion current LCU | -94.59 billion current LCU |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 710.30 million current LCU | -18.54 million current LCU | 1.19 billion current LCU | 10 |
| 1970s | -419.37 million current LCU | -3.62 billion current LCU | 1.40 billion current LCU | 10 |
| 1980s | -8.60 billion current LCU | -36.75 billion current LCU | 12.61 billion current LCU | 10 |
| 1990s | 134.04 billion current LCU | -94.59 billion current LCU | 362.92 billion current LCU | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.05 trillion current LCU | 232.47 billion current LCU | 2.42 trillion current LCU | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.38 trillion current LCU | 605.28 billion current LCU | 2.23 trillion current LCU | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.50 trillion current LCU | 2.28 trillion current LCU | 5.87 trillion current LCU | 6 |
Countries ranked near China
More economy & growth data for China
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 3.46 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 3.31 Percent per annum (2029)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.95 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0029 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 39.69 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate 0.8948 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0021 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 28.98 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 1.91 % change on previous year (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0016 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is external balance on goods and services in China?
- External balance on goods and services in China was 5.87 trillion current LCU in 2025, according to Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks.
- What is the highest external balance on goods and services recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 5.87 trillion current LCU in 2025.
- What is the lowest external balance on goods and services recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was -94.59 billion current LCU in 1993.
- How does China rank for external balance on goods and services?
- China ranks 9th out of 193 countries with data for 2025.
- Is external balance on goods and services rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 162.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks, published as part of External balance on goods and services (current LCU). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
The balance of international trade in goods and services is the difference between the exports and imports of goods and services. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This series is expressed in local currency units.