External balance on goods and services in Gambia
Gambia: External balance on goods and services was -36.7% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
External balance on goods and services in Gambia, 1966–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2025, external balance on goods and services in Gambia stood at -36.7%. That is the lowest value across all 60 years on record.
The figure is down 48.8% on the previous year and down 174.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external balance on goods and services in Gambia peaked at 1.1% in 1975 and was at its lowest, -36.7%, in 2025.
That places Gambia 177th out of 193 countries with data for 2025, putting it 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 Gambia, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1966 | -7.4% | — |
| 1967 | -6.7% | -10.0% |
| 1968 | -11.0% | +65.0% |
| 1969 | -10.7% | -2.8% |
| 1970 | -3.1% | -70.9% |
| 1971 | -4.8% | +54.4% |
| 1972 | -7.0% | +45.0% |
| 1973 | -7.3% | +4.2% |
| 1974 | -4.7% | -34.8% |
| 1975 | 1.1% | -123.1% |
| 1976 | -5.3% | -584.3% |
| 1977 | -10.8% | +103.5% |
| 1978 | -26.2% | +143.1% |
| 1979 | -28.3% | +8.0% |
| 1980 | -20.9% | -26.3% |
| 1981 | -22.8% | +9.3% |
| 1982 | -15.3% | -32.9% |
| 1983 | -12.0% | -21.6% |
| 1984 | -13.7% | +13.9% |
| 1985 | -10.1% | -26.4% |
| 1986 | -9.5% | -5.7% |
| 1987 | -9.9% | +4.2% |
| 1988 | -8.1% | -18.0% |
| 1989 | -10.2% | +26.3% |
| 1990 | -11.7% | +14.3% |
| 1991 | -5.2% | -55.3% |
| 1992 | -6.3% | +19.8% |
| 1993 | -8.2% | +31.8% |
| 1994 | -7.4% | -9.8% |
| 1995 | -11.7% | +57.7% |
| 1996 | -7.4% | -37.3% |
| 1997 | -2.5% | -66.7% |
| 1998 | -3.3% | +32.9% |
| 1999 | -3.6% | +11.0% |
| 2000 | -4.8% | +31.6% |
| 2001 | -3.3% | -31.0% |
| 2002 | -5.3% | +62.1% |
| 2003 | -6.7% | +25.2% |
| 2004 | -8.7% | +31.1% |
| 2005 | -10.2% | +16.8% |
| 2006 | -8.3% | -18.7% |
| 2007 | -8.2% | -0.9% |
| 2008 | -10.1% | +23.2% |
| 2009 | -10.3% | +1.4% |
| 2010 | -11.7% | +13.5% |
| 2011 | -8.9% | -23.6% |
| 2012 | -8.0% | -10.1% |
| 2013 | -7.5% | -6.4% |
| 2014 | -14.6% | +94.4% |
| 2015 | -13.4% | -8.3% |
| 2016 | -12.6% | -5.8% |
| 2017 | -18.8% | +49.0% |
| 2018 | -20.2% | +7.8% |
| 2019 | -15.7% | -22.6% |
| 2020 | -28.2% | +79.9% |
| 2021 | -28.9% | +2.4% |
| 2022 | -27.6% | -4.4% |
| 2023 | -25.9% | -6.3% |
| 2024 | -24.7% | -4.6% |
| 2025 | -36.7% | +48.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | -8.9% | -11.0% | -6.7% | 4 |
| 1970s | -9.6% | -28.3% | 1.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | -13.2% | -22.8% | -8.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | -6.7% | -11.7% | -2.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | -7.6% | -10.3% | -3.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | -13.1% | -20.2% | -7.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | -28.6% | -36.7% | -24.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Gambia
- 174 Palestine, State of -32.3% compare
- 175 Lebanon -35.6% compare
- 176 Tajikistan -36.7% compare
- 178 Jordan -37.5% compare
- 179 Yemen -38.6% compare
- 180 Kyrgyzstan -38.8% compare
More economy & growth data for Gambia
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 2.69 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 5.02 Percent per annum (2029)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps -665,150 BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit -0.0003 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita -0.241 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 232.36 million BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual 13.05 % change on previous year (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0966 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 84.19 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 8.98 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is external balance on goods and services in Gambia?
- External balance on goods and services in Gambia was -36.7% 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 Gambia?
- The highest recorded value was 1.1% in 1975.
- What is the lowest external balance on goods and services recorded in Gambia?
- The lowest recorded value was -36.7% in 2025.
- How does Gambia rank for external balance on goods and services?
- Gambia ranks 177th out of 193 countries with data for 2025.
- Is external balance on goods and services rising or falling in Gambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 174.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Gambia 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 60 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 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.