External balance on goods and services in Euro area
Euro area: External balance on goods and services was 3.9% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
External balance on goods and services in Euro area, 1970–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for external balance on goods and services in Euro area is 3.9%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 10.9% on the previous year and down 13.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external balance on goods and services in Euro area peaked at 4.5% in 2016 and was at its lowest, -2.9%, in 1980.
Euro area ranks 6th of 44 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
External balance on goods and services in Euro area, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | -0.5% | — |
| 1971 | -0.2% | -52.6% |
| 1972 | 0.0% | -107.2% |
| 1973 | -0.4% | -2315.1% |
| 1974 | -1.4% | +274.5% |
| 1975 | -0.6% | -56.9% |
| 1976 | -1.5% | +147.1% |
| 1977 | -1.0% | -32.9% |
| 1978 | -0.2% | -83.9% |
| 1979 | -1.1% | +626.1% |
| 1980 | -2.9% | +154.7% |
| 1981 | -2.3% | -22.3% |
| 1982 | -1.9% | -14.3% |
| 1983 | -1.1% | -45.4% |
| 1984 | -0.5% | -48.4% |
| 1985 | -0.5% | -17.2% |
| 1986 | 0.5% | -214.6% |
| 1987 | -0.1% | -119.4% |
| 1988 | -0.2% | +132.7% |
| 1989 | -0.6% | +147.4% |
| 1990 | -0.5% | -19.7% |
| 1991 | -0.4% | -7.0% |
| 1992 | -0.2% | -60.7% |
| 1993 | 1.2% | -800.8% |
| 1994 | 1.4% | +13.9% |
| 1995 | 1.6% | +17.8% |
| 1996 | 1.9% | +16.2% |
| 1997 | 2.2% | +21.0% |
| 1998 | 2.0% | -12.4% |
| 1999 | 1.4% | -29.1% |
| 2000 | 0.9% | -37.1% |
| 2001 | 1.6% | +77.7% |
| 2002 | 2.5% | +60.6% |
| 2003 | 2.0% | -20.1% |
| 2004 | 2.2% | +8.7% |
| 2005 | 1.6% | -26.0% |
| 2006 | 1.3% | -21.9% |
| 2007 | 1.5% | +16.0% |
| 2008 | 1.1% | -22.1% |
| 2009 | 1.7% | +49.3% |
| 2010 | 1.6% | -5.9% |
| 2011 | 1.7% | +7.0% |
| 2012 | 2.9% | +73.0% |
| 2013 | 3.6% | +20.6% |
| 2014 | 3.9% | +9.1% |
| 2015 | 4.5% | +15.5% |
| 2016 | 4.5% | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 4.4% | -2.7% |
| 2018 | 4.0% | -9.5% |
| 2019 | 3.5% | -11.8% |
| 2020 | 3.6% | +2.5% |
| 2021 | 4.0% | +12.0% |
| 2022 | 2.0% | -50.9% |
| 2023 | 3.6% | +82.5% |
| 2024 | 4.4% | +21.3% |
| 2025 | 3.9% | -10.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | -0.7% | -1.5% | 0.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | -1.0% | -2.9% | 0.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.1% | -0.5% | 2.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.6% | 0.9% | 2.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.4% | 1.6% | 4.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.6% | 2.0% | 4.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Euro area
- 3 Qatar 37.0% compare
- 4 Singapore 35.4% compare
- 5 Luxembourg 31.2% compare
- 6 San Marino 31.0% compare
- 7 Bermuda 30.1% compare
- 8 Gabon 26.1% compare
- 9 Brunei Darussalam 19.5% compare
More economy & growth data for Euro area
- Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 1.47 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current US$), annual growth rate 9.03 % change on previous year (2025)
- Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$), per capita 28,509 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.5677 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual -70.76 % change on previous year (2025)
- Final consumption expenditure (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.742 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Final consumption expenditure (current US$), annual growth rate 8.5 % change on previous year (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0047 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 84.93 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Final consumption expenditure (current US$), per capita 37,260 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is external balance on goods and services in Euro area?
- External balance on goods and services in Euro area was 3.9% 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 Euro area?
- The highest recorded value was 4.5% in 2016.
- What is the lowest external balance on goods and services recorded in Euro area?
- The lowest recorded value was -2.9% in 1980.
- How does Euro area rank for external balance on goods and services?
- Euro area ranks 6th out of 44 groups with data for 2025.
- Is external balance on goods and services rising or falling in Euro area?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Euro area 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 (% of GDP). 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 as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.