External balance on goods and services in Europe & Central Asia
Europe & Central Asia: External balance on goods and services was 2.7% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
External balance on goods and services in Europe & Central Asia, 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 Europe & Central Asia is 2.7%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 21.9% on the previous year and down 24.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external balance on goods and services in Europe & Central Asia peaked at 3.9% in 2021 and was at its lowest, -1.9%, in 1980.
That places Europe & Central Asia 10th out of 44 groups with data for 2025, putting it 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 Europe & Central Asia, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | -0.3% | — |
| 1971 | 0.0% | -110.5% |
| 1972 | 0.1% | +274.0% |
| 1973 | -0.5% | -530.9% |
| 1974 | -1.8% | +288.7% |
| 1975 | -0.7% | -62.3% |
| 1976 | -1.4% | +104.2% |
| 1977 | -0.9% | -36.7% |
| 1978 | 0.2% | -124.2% |
| 1979 | -0.8% | -472.5% |
| 1980 | -1.9% | +140.9% |
| 1981 | -1.0% | -45.8% |
| 1982 | -1.0% | -5.7% |
| 1983 | -0.4% | -58.7% |
| 1984 | 0.0% | -105.7% |
| 1985 | 0.2% | +618.6% |
| 1986 | 0.4% | +141.4% |
| 1987 | -0.1% | -114.1% |
| 1988 | -0.4% | +653.8% |
| 1989 | -0.7% | +75.2% |
| 1990 | -0.5% | -33.1% |
| 1991 | -0.1% | -82.9% |
| 1992 | 0.7% | -949.5% |
| 1993 | 1.3% | +87.5% |
| 1994 | 1.4% | +7.2% |
| 1995 | 1.6% | +14.7% |
| 1996 | 1.8% | +7.0% |
| 1997 | 1.9% | +7.5% |
| 1998 | 1.5% | -21.2% |
| 1999 | 1.3% | -10.9% |
| 2000 | 1.3% | -4.2% |
| 2001 | 1.6% | +29.5% |
| 2002 | 2.0% | +24.4% |
| 2003 | 1.7% | -15.0% |
| 2004 | 1.9% | +11.6% |
| 2005 | 1.8% | -8.9% |
| 2006 | 1.6% | -8.8% |
| 2007 | 1.4% | -12.6% |
| 2008 | 1.5% | +8.2% |
| 2009 | 1.9% | +23.2% |
| 2010 | 1.9% | +2.8% |
| 2011 | 2.2% | +12.8% |
| 2012 | 2.9% | +34.8% |
| 2013 | 3.1% | +4.9% |
| 2014 | 3.3% | +6.7% |
| 2015 | 3.6% | +8.5% |
| 2016 | 3.3% | -8.4% |
| 2017 | 3.3% | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 3.5% | +8.9% |
| 2019 | 3.1% | -11.6% |
| 2020 | 2.9% | -7.5% |
| 2021 | 3.9% | +35.4% |
| 2022 | 3.2% | -19.5% |
| 2023 | 3.0% | -6.0% |
| 2024 | 3.5% | +16.5% |
| 2025 | 2.7% | -21.9% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where External balance on goods and services in Europe & Central Asia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | +949.5% | -0.1% | 0.7% |
| 1988 | -653.8% | -0.1% | -0.4% |
| 1985 | +618.6% | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| 1973 | -530.9% | 0.1% | -0.5% |
| 1979 | -472.5% | 0.2% | -0.8% |
| 1974 | -288.7% | -0.5% | -1.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | -0.6% | -1.8% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | -0.5% | -1.9% | 0.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.1% | -0.5% | 1.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.7% | 1.3% | 2.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.0% | 1.9% | 3.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.2% | 2.7% | 3.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Europe & Central Asia
More economy & growth data for Europe & Central Asia
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$), per 0.2059 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015) 2.22 % change on previous year (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current US$) 18,580 current US$ per person (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current US$) 0.5369 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current US$) 10.17 % change on previous year (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 5,268 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 0.1522 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 1.58 % change on previous year (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$), per 7,127 current US$ per person (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0105 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is external balance on goods and services in Europe & Central Asia?
- External balance on goods and services in Europe & Central Asia was 2.7% 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 Europe & Central Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 3.9% in 2021.
- What is the lowest external balance on goods and services recorded in Europe & Central Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was -1.9% in 1980.
- How does Europe & Central Asia rank for external balance on goods and services?
- Europe & Central Asia ranks 10th out of 44 groups with data for 2025.
- Is external balance on goods and services rising or falling in Europe & Central Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 24.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Europe & Central Asia 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.