External balance on goods and services (current LCU) in Somalia
Somalia: External balance on goods and services (current LCU) was -272.14 trillion current LCU in 2025. ◆ Volatile
External balance on goods and services in Somalia, 1960–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks. Measured in current LCU.
Analysis
Somalia recorded -272.14 trillion current LCU for external balance on goods and services in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 45 years on record.
That represents a change of down 19.1% on the previous year and down 365.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external balance on goods and services in Somalia peaked at -57.10 million current LCU in 1960 and was at its lowest, -272.14 trillion current LCU, in 2025.
Somalia ranks 191st 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 (current LCU) in Somalia, year by year
| Year | current LCU | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | -57.10 million current LCU | — |
| 1961 | -97.00 million current LCU | +69.9% |
| 1962 | -214.00 million current LCU | +120.6% |
| 1963 | -156.00 million current LCU | -27.1% |
| 1964 | -237.00 million current LCU | +51.9% |
| 1965 | -60.70 million current LCU | -74.4% |
| 1966 | -140.00 million current LCU | +130.6% |
| 1967 | -167.00 million current LCU | +19.3% |
| 1968 | -135.70 million current LCU | -18.7% |
| 1969 | -164.30 million current LCU | +21.1% |
| 1970 | -118.00 million current LCU | -28.2% |
| 1971 | -157.00 million current LCU | +33.1% |
| 1972 | -140.00 million current LCU | -10.8% |
| 1973 | -413.00 million current LCU | +195.0% |
| 1974 | -663.00 million current LCU | +60.5% |
| 1975 | -645.20 million current LCU | -2.7% |
| 1976 | -701.80 million current LCU | +8.8% |
| 1977 | -2.68 billion current LCU | +281.9% |
| 1978 | -2.48 billion current LCU | -7.6% |
| 1979 | -4.61 billion current LCU | +86.1% |
| 1980 | -9.61 billion current LCU | +108.5% |
| 1981 | -9.60 billion current LCU | -0.1% |
| 1982 | -12.25 billion current LCU | +27.5% |
| 1983 | -17.20 billion current LCU | +40.4% |
| 1984 | -28.97 billion current LCU | +68.5% |
| 1985 | -11.34 billion current LCU | -60.9% |
| 1986 | -27.04 billion current LCU | +138.5% |
| 1987 | -41.22 billion current LCU | +52.4% |
| 1988 | -49.29 billion current LCU | +19.6% |
| 1989 | -208.20 billion current LCU | +322.4% |
| 1990 | -486.07 billion current LCU | +133.5% |
| 2012 | -48.62 trillion current LCU | +9901.7% |
| 2013 | -45.01 trillion current LCU | -7.4% |
| 2014 | -50.27 trillion current LCU | +11.7% |
| 2015 | -58.52 trillion current LCU | +16.4% |
| 2016 | -64.21 trillion current LCU | +9.7% |
| 2017 | -74.96 trillion current LCU | +16.8% |
| 2018 | -85.61 trillion current LCU | +14.2% |
| 2019 | -95.82 trillion current LCU | +11.9% |
| 2020 | -107.55 trillion current LCU | +12.2% |
| 2021 | -115.53 trillion current LCU | +7.4% |
| 2022 | -151.66 trillion current LCU | +31.3% |
| 2023 | -176.59 trillion current LCU | +16.4% |
| 2024 | -228.49 trillion current LCU | +29.4% |
| 2025 | -272.14 trillion current LCU | +19.1% |
Somalia compared with similar countries
- Somalia's -272.14 trillion current LCU is below the median for low income countries, which is -480.38 billion current LCU, 566.5× the median. (22 countries reporting)
- Somalia's -272.14 trillion current LCU is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is -68.31 billion current LCU, 3983.9× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where External balance on goods and services (current LCU) in Somalia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | -9901.7% | -486.07 billion current LCU | -48.62 trillion current LCU |
| 1989 | -322.4% | -49.29 billion current LCU | -208.20 billion current LCU |
| 1977 | -281.9% | -701.80 million current LCU | -2.68 billion current LCU |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | -142.88 million current LCU | -237.00 million current LCU | -57.10 million current LCU | 10 |
| 1970s | -1.26 billion current LCU | -4.61 billion current LCU | -118.00 million current LCU | 10 |
| 1980s | -41.47 billion current LCU | -208.20 billion current LCU | -9.60 billion current LCU | 10 |
| 1990s | -486.07 billion current LCU | -486.07 billion current LCU | -486.07 billion current LCU | 1 |
| 2010s | -65.38 trillion current LCU | -95.82 trillion current LCU | -45.01 trillion current LCU | 8 |
| 2020s | -175.33 trillion current LCU | -272.14 trillion current LCU | -107.55 trillion current LCU | 6 |
Countries ranked near Somalia
More economy & growth data for Somalia
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.52 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 4.5 Percent per annum (2029)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate 25.66 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0238 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 15.71 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate 19.66 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0174 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 11.47 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 0.0172 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is external balance on goods and services in Somalia?
- External balance on goods and services in Somalia was -272.14 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 Somalia?
- The highest recorded value was -57.10 million current LCU in 1960.
- What is the lowest external balance on goods and services recorded in Somalia?
- The lowest recorded value was -272.14 trillion current LCU in 2025.
- How does Somalia rank for external balance on goods and services?
- Somalia ranks 191st out of 193 countries with data for 2025.
- Is external balance on goods and services rising or falling in Somalia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 365.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Somalia 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.
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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.