External balance on goods and services (current LCU) in Iran
Iran: External balance on goods and services (current LCU) was -23,522.90 trillion current LCU in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
-23,522.90 trillion current LCU
Change on year
down 120.4%
World rank
193rd
of 193 countries
All-time high
2,477.09 trillion current LCU
in 2022
All-time low
-23,522.90 trillion current LCU
in 2025
Years of data
66
1960–2025
External balance on goods and services in Iran, 1960–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks. Measured in current LCU.
Analysis
Iran recorded -23,522.90 trillion current LCU for external balance on goods and services in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
The figure is down 120.4% on the previous year and down 9,710.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external balance on goods and services in Iran peaked at 2,477.09 trillion current LCU in 2022 and was at its lowest, -23,522.90 trillion current LCU, in 2025.
That places Iran 193rd out of 193 countries with data for 2025, 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 (current LCU) in Iran, year by year
| Year | current LCU | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | -11.26 billion current LCU | — |
| 1961 | -7.15 billion current LCU | -36.5% |
| 1962 | 2.91 billion current LCU | -140.7% |
| 1963 | 10.72 billion current LCU | +268.2% |
| 1964 | 276.77 million current LCU | -97.4% |
| 1965 | -1.53 billion current LCU | -652.1% |
| 1966 | -6.78 billion current LCU | +343.7% |
| 1967 | -13.52 billion current LCU | +99.4% |
| 1968 | -19.82 billion current LCU | +46.6% |
| 1969 | -22.30 billion current LCU | +12.6% |
| 1970 | -22.75 billion current LCU | +2.0% |
| 1971 | 18.54 billion current LCU | -181.5% |
| 1972 | 18.73 billion current LCU | +1.0% |
| 1973 | 238.45 billion current LCU | +1173.1% |
| 1974 | 729.26 billion current LCU | +205.8% |
| 1975 | 189.03 billion current LCU | -74.1% |
| 1976 | 430.82 billion current LCU | +127.9% |
| 1977 | 96.85 billion current LCU | -77.5% |
| 1978 | 68.96 billion current LCU | -28.8% |
| 1979 | 680.79 billion current LCU | +887.3% |
| 1980 | -1.01 trillion current LCU | -248.9% |
| 1981 | -1.25 trillion current LCU | +23.5% |
| 1982 | -413.02 billion current LCU | -67.0% |
| 1983 | -1.32 trillion current LCU | +219.1% |
| 1984 | -791.50 billion current LCU | -39.9% |
| 1985 | -854.46 billion current LCU | +8.0% |
| 1986 | -1.07 trillion current LCU | +25.2% |
| 1987 | 83.49 billion current LCU | -107.8% |
| 1988 | -1.54 trillion current LCU | -1939.7% |
| 1989 | -2.25 trillion current LCU | +46.8% |
| 1990 | -4.00 trillion current LCU | +77.3% |
| 1991 | -8.90 trillion current LCU | +122.6% |
| 1992 | -10.11 trillion current LCU | +13.6% |
| 1993 | 5.07 trillion current LCU | -150.2% |
| 1994 | 20.91 trillion current LCU | +312.2% |
| 1995 | 16.20 trillion current LCU | -22.5% |
| 1996 | 13.98 trillion current LCU | -13.7% |
| 1997 | 6.04 trillion current LCU | -56.8% |
| 1998 | -13.65 trillion current LCU | -326.2% |
| 1999 | 17.57 trillion current LCU | -228.7% |
| 2000 | 10.53 trillion current LCU | -40.0% |
| 2001 | -14.24 trillion current LCU | -235.2% |
| 2002 | 6.71 trillion current LCU | -147.1% |
| 2003 | -17.92 trillion current LCU | -367.2% |
| 2004 | -12.77 trillion current LCU | -28.7% |
| 2005 | 126.28 trillion current LCU | -1089.0% |
| 2006 | 160.47 trillion current LCU | +27.1% |
| 2007 | 253.29 trillion current LCU | +57.8% |
| 2008 | 191.47 trillion current LCU | -24.4% |
| 2009 | 70.79 trillion current LCU | -63.0% |
| 2010 | 253.23 trillion current LCU | +257.7% |
| 2011 | 596.31 trillion current LCU | +135.5% |
| 2012 | 68.00 trillion current LCU | -88.6% |
| 2013 | 348.73 trillion current LCU | +412.8% |
| 2014 | 37.98 trillion current LCU | -89.1% |
| 2015 | -239.77 trillion current LCU | -731.3% |
| 2016 | 111.52 trillion current LCU | -146.5% |
| 2017 | 89.06 trillion current LCU | -20.1% |
| 2018 | 594.96 trillion current LCU | +568.0% |
| 2019 | -1,131.30 trillion current LCU | -290.1% |
| 2020 | -3,104.91 trillion current LCU | +174.5% |
| 2021 | 969.05 trillion current LCU | -131.2% |
| 2022 | 2,477.09 trillion current LCU | +155.6% |
| 2023 | -2,507.30 trillion current LCU | -201.2% |
| 2024 | -10,673.40 trillion current LCU | +325.7% |
| 2025 | -23,522.90 trillion current LCU | +120.4% |
Iran compared with similar countries
- Iran's -23,522.90 trillion current LCU is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is -2.10 billion current LCU, 11224524.9× the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Iran's -23,522.90 trillion current LCU is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is -4.55 billion current LCU, 5167369.6× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where External balance on goods and services (current LCU) in Iran 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | -1939.7% | 83.49 billion current LCU | -1.54 trillion current LCU |
| 1973 | +1173.1% | 18.73 billion current LCU | 238.45 billion current LCU |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | -6.84 billion current LCU | -22.30 billion current LCU | 10.72 billion current LCU | 10 |
| 1970s | 244.87 billion current LCU | -22.75 billion current LCU | 729.26 billion current LCU | 10 |
| 1980s | -1.04 trillion current LCU | -2.25 trillion current LCU | 83.49 billion current LCU | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.31 trillion current LCU | -13.65 trillion current LCU | 20.91 trillion current LCU | 10 |
| 2000s | 77.46 trillion current LCU | -17.92 trillion current LCU | 253.29 trillion current LCU | 10 |
| 2010s | 72.87 trillion current LCU | -1,131.30 trillion current LCU | 596.31 trillion current LCU | 10 |
| 2020s | -6,060.39 trillion current LCU | -23,522.90 trillion current LCU | 2,477.09 trillion current LCU | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iran
More economy & growth data for Iran
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.48 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2 Percent per annum (2029)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.43 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.019 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 74.73 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate 0.3978 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0139 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 54.57 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 0.0115 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is external balance on goods and services in Iran?
- External balance on goods and services in Iran was -23,522.90 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 Iran?
- The highest recorded value was 2,477.09 trillion current LCU in 2022.
- What is the lowest external balance on goods and services recorded in Iran?
- The lowest recorded value was -23,522.90 trillion current LCU in 2025.
- How does Iran rank for external balance on goods and services?
- Iran ranks 193rd out of 193 countries with data for 2025.
- Is external balance on goods and services rising or falling in Iran?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9,710.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Iran 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.