External balance on goods and services in Nepal
Nepal: External balance on goods and services was -1.54 trillion current LCU in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
-1.54 trillion current LCU
Change on year
down 6.9%
World rank
169th
of 193 countries
All-time high
-5.00 million current LCU
in 1967
All-time low
-1.77 trillion current LCU
in 2022
Years of data
61
1965–2025
External balance on goods and services in Nepal, 1965–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks. Measured in current LCU.
Analysis
Nepal recorded -1.54 trillion current LCU for external balance on goods and services in 2025.
The figure is down 6.9% on the previous year and down 142.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external balance on goods and services in Nepal peaked at -5.00 million current LCU in 1967 and was at its lowest, -1.77 trillion current LCU, in 2022.
Nepal ranks 169th of 193 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 in Nepal, year by year
| Year | current LCU | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | -345.00 million current LCU | — |
| 1966 | -215.00 million current LCU | -37.7% |
| 1967 | -5.00 million current LCU | -97.7% |
| 1968 | -47.00 million current LCU | +840.0% |
| 1969 | -256.00 million current LCU | +444.7% |
| 1970 | -298.00 million current LCU | +16.4% |
| 1971 | -333.00 million current LCU | +11.7% |
| 1972 | -234.00 million current LCU | -29.7% |
| 1973 | -375.00 million current LCU | +60.3% |
| 1974 | -653.00 million current LCU | +74.1% |
| 1975 | -740.00 million current LCU | +13.3% |
| 1976 | -592.00 million current LCU | -20.0% |
| 1977 | -437.00 million current LCU | -26.2% |
| 1978 | -967.00 million current LCU | +121.3% |
| 1979 | -929.00 million current LCU | -3.9% |
| 1980 | -1.68 billion current LCU | +80.7% |
| 1981 | -1.83 billion current LCU | +9.2% |
| 1982 | -2.24 billion current LCU | +21.9% |
| 1983 | -3.74 billion current LCU | +67.4% |
| 1984 | -3.46 billion current LCU | -7.4% |
| 1985 | -3.95 billion current LCU | +13.9% |
| 1986 | -4.81 billion current LCU | +22.0% |
| 1987 | -5.81 billion current LCU | +20.6% |
| 1988 | -8.41 billion current LCU | +44.8% |
| 1989 | -10.01 billion current LCU | +19.1% |
| 1990 | -11.51 billion current LCU | +15.0% |
| 1991 | -14.48 billion current LCU | +25.7% |
| 1992 | -14.93 billion current LCU | +3.1% |
| 1993 | -18.14 billion current LCU | +21.5% |
| 1994 | -24.80 billion current LCU | +36.7% |
| 1995 | -20.92 billion current LCU | -15.6% |
| 1996 | -31.92 billion current LCU | +52.6% |
| 1997 | -31.92 billion current LCU | +0.0% |
| 1998 | -33.29 billion current LCU | +4.3% |
| 1999 | -23.50 billion current LCU | -29.4% |
| 2000 | -34.70 billion current LCU | +47.7% |
| 2001 | -47.15 billion current LCU | +35.9% |
| 2002 | -49.42 billion current LCU | +4.8% |
| 2003 | -63.24 billion current LCU | +28.0% |
| 2004 | -68.61 billion current LCU | +8.5% |
| 2005 | -87.80 billion current LCU | +28.0% |
| 2006 | -116.88 billion current LCU | +33.1% |
| 2007 | -137.33 billion current LCU | +17.5% |
| 2008 | -167.08 billion current LCU | +21.7% |
| 2009 | -219.80 billion current LCU | +31.5% |
| 2010 | -319.90 billion current LCU | +45.5% |
| 2011 | -322.52 billion current LCU | +0.8% |
| 2012 | -359.08 billion current LCU | +11.3% |
| 2013 | -453.72 billion current LCU | +26.4% |
| 2014 | -574.53 billion current LCU | +26.6% |
| 2015 | -635.88 billion current LCU | +10.7% |
| 2016 | -671.77 billion current LCU | +5.6% |
| 2017 | -892.93 billion current LCU | +32.9% |
| 2018 | -1.13 trillion current LCU | +27.0% |
| 2019 | -1.30 trillion current LCU | +14.6% |
| 2020 | -1.06 trillion current LCU | -18.3% |
| 2021 | -1.43 trillion current LCU | +34.5% |
| 2022 | -1.77 trillion current LCU | +23.9% |
| 2023 | -1.48 trillion current LCU | -16.4% |
| 2024 | -1.44 trillion current LCU | -2.4% |
| 2025 | -1.54 trillion current LCU | +6.9% |
Nepal compared with similar countries
- Nepal's -1.54 trillion current LCU is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is -57.12 billion current LCU, 27.0× the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Nepal's -1.54 trillion current LCU is below the median for South Asia, which is -1.41 trillion current LCU, 1.1× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where External balance on goods and services in Nepal 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | -840.0% | -5.00 million current LCU | -47.00 million current LCU |
| 1969 | -444.7% | -47.00 million current LCU | -256.00 million current LCU |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | -173.60 million current LCU | -345.00 million current LCU | -5.00 million current LCU | 5 |
| 1970s | -555.80 million current LCU | -967.00 million current LCU | -234.00 million current LCU | 10 |
| 1980s | -4.59 billion current LCU | -10.01 billion current LCU | -1.68 billion current LCU | 10 |
| 1990s | -22.54 billion current LCU | -33.29 billion current LCU | -11.51 billion current LCU | 10 |
| 2000s | -99.20 billion current LCU | -219.80 billion current LCU | -34.70 billion current LCU | 10 |
| 2010s | -666.45 billion current LCU | -1.30 trillion current LCU | -319.90 billion current LCU | 10 |
| 2020s | -1.45 trillion current LCU | -1.77 trillion current LCU | -1.06 trillion current LCU | 6 |
Countries ranked near Nepal
- 166 Democratic Republic of Congo -1.22 trillion current LCU compare
- 167 Sri Lanka -1.27 trillion current LCU compare
- 168 Senegal -1.31 trillion current LCU compare
- 170 Algeria -2.01 trillion current LCU compare
- 171 Egypt -2.12 trillion current LCU compare
- 172 Tanzania -2.30 trillion current LCU compare
More economy & growth data for Nepal
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 4.28 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 5.25 Percent per annum (2029)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 0 BoP, current US$ (1989)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (1989)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 0 BoP, current US$ per person (1989)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 56.90 million BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual -23.95 % change on previous year (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0013 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 1.92 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 33.15 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is external balance on goods and services in Nepal?
- External balance on goods and services in Nepal was -1.54 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 Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was -5.00 million current LCU in 1967.
- What is the lowest external balance on goods and services recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was -1.77 trillion current LCU in 2022.
- How does Nepal rank for external balance on goods and services?
- Nepal ranks 169th out of 193 countries with data for 2025.
- Is external balance on goods and services rising or falling in Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is down 142.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Nepal 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 — 61 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.