External balance on goods and services (current US$) (US current) in Malawi
Malawi: External balance on goods and services (current US$) (US current) was -2.70 billion current US$ in 2025. ▼ Falling
External balance on goods and services in Malawi, 2017–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks. Measured in current US$.
Analysis
In 2025, external balance on goods and services in Malawi stood at -2.70 billion current US$. That is the lowest value across all 9 years on record.
That represents a change of down 23.5% on the previous year and down 51.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external balance on goods and services in Malawi peaked at -1.78 billion current US$ in 2017 and was at its lowest, -2.70 billion current US$, in 2025.
That places Malawi 139th out of 193 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
External balance on goods and services (current US$) (US current) in Malawi, year by year
| Year | current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | -1.78 billion current US$ | — |
| 2018 | -2.00 billion current US$ | +12.0% |
| 2019 | -2.01 billion current US$ | +0.7% |
| 2020 | -2.24 billion current US$ | +11.2% |
| 2021 | -2.37 billion current US$ | +6.0% |
| 2022 | -2.60 billion current US$ | +9.6% |
| 2023 | -2.67 billion current US$ | +2.5% |
| 2024 | -2.19 billion current US$ | -18.0% |
| 2025 | -2.70 billion current US$ | +23.5% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's -2.70 billion current US$ is below the median for low income countries, which is -1.17 billion current US$, 2.3× the median. (22 countries reporting)
- Malawi's -2.70 billion current US$ is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is -545.92 million current US$, 4.9× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | -1.93 billion current US$ | -2.01 billion current US$ | -1.78 billion current US$ | 3 |
| 2020s | -2.46 billion current US$ | -2.70 billion current US$ | -2.19 billion current US$ | 6 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 136 Madagascar -2.27 billion current US$ compare
- 137 Montenegro -2.37 billion current US$ compare
- 138 North Macedonia -2.63 billion current US$ compare
- 140 Namibia -2.90 billion current US$ compare
- 141 Nicaragua -2.95 billion current US$ compare
- 142 Mozambique -3.20 billion current US$ compare
More economy & growth data for Malawi
- Real gdp growth, annual growth rate -14.03 % change on previous year (2024)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 2.07 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 4.6 Percent per annum (2029)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate -12.14 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 0.0151 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate -16.34 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 0.0111 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.01 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is external balance on goods and services in Malawi?
- External balance on goods and services in Malawi was -2.70 billion current US$ 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 Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was -1.78 billion current US$ in 2017.
- What is the lowest external balance on goods and services recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was -2.70 billion current US$ in 2025.
- How does Malawi rank for external balance on goods and services?
- Malawi ranks 139th out of 193 countries with data for 2025.
- Is external balance on goods and services rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 51.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malawi 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 US$). 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 indicator is expressed in United States dollars.