External balance on goods and services in High income
High income: External balance on goods and services was 0.9% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
External balance on goods and services in High income, 1970–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
High income recorded 0.9% for external balance on goods and services in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 24.8% on the previous year and down 18.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external balance on goods and services in High income peaked at 1.6% in 2013 and was at its lowest, -0.6%, in 1984.
That places High income 18th out of 44 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
External balance on goods and services in High income, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 0.3% | — |
| 1971 | 0.4% | +50.0% |
| 1972 | 0.4% | -7.0% |
| 1973 | 0.4% | -4.5% |
| 1974 | -0.2% | -155.3% |
| 1975 | 0.6% | -374.8% |
| 1976 | 0.1% | -89.4% |
| 1977 | -0.1% | -292.1% |
| 1978 | 0.1% | -205.3% |
| 1979 | -0.4% | -385.4% |
| 1980 | -0.2% | -31.7% |
| 1981 | 0.3% | -211.1% |
| 1982 | -0.2% | -185.1% |
| 1983 | -0.4% | +91.4% |
| 1984 | -0.6% | +32.9% |
| 1985 | -0.4% | -24.8% |
| 1986 | -0.1% | -67.7% |
| 1987 | -0.3% | +86.4% |
| 1988 | -0.2% | -13.4% |
| 1989 | -0.4% | +62.7% |
| 1990 | -0.3% | -23.7% |
| 1991 | 0.2% | -156.1% |
| 1992 | 0.7% | +320.0% |
| 1993 | 0.9% | +31.1% |
| 1994 | 0.8% | -10.6% |
| 1995 | 0.8% | +1.0% |
| 1996 | 0.7% | -11.0% |
| 1997 | 0.8% | +14.9% |
| 1998 | 0.6% | -22.9% |
| 1999 | 0.3% | -58.7% |
| 2000 | -0.1% | -134.0% |
| 2001 | -0.1% | +4.5% |
| 2002 | 0.0% | -126.7% |
| 2003 | 0.0% | -86.7% |
| 2004 | 0.1% | +3178.6% |
| 2005 | -0.0% | -140.2% |
| 2006 | -0.1% | +49.5% |
| 2007 | 0.1% | -298.7% |
| 2008 | 0.1% | -13.4% |
| 2009 | 0.6% | +480.0% |
| 2010 | 0.8% | +26.1% |
| 2011 | 1.1% | +31.7% |
| 2012 | 1.3% | +23.9% |
| 2013 | 1.6% | +19.0% |
| 2014 | 1.5% | -6.9% |
| 2015 | 1.1% | -21.0% |
| 2016 | 1.2% | +2.3% |
| 2017 | 1.3% | +10.4% |
| 2018 | 1.4% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | 1.1% | -22.4% |
| 2020 | 0.8% | -24.4% |
| 2021 | 1.3% | +57.1% |
| 2022 | 0.9% | -25.9% |
| 2023 | 1.1% | +15.1% |
| 2024 | 1.2% | +13.2% |
| 2025 | 0.9% | -24.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.2% | -0.4% | 0.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | -0.3% | -0.6% | 0.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.5% | -0.3% | 0.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.1% | -0.1% | 0.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.2% | 0.8% | 1.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.1% | 0.8% | 1.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near High income
More economy & growth data for High income
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 855.36 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 0.1461 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0158 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 2.76 % change on previous year (2024)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$), per 8,900 current US$ per person (2024)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$), per 0.1748 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0126 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual -12.57 % change on previous year (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 967.71 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 7,438 constant 2015 US$ per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is external balance on goods and services in High income?
- External balance on goods and services in High income was 0.9% 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 High income?
- The highest recorded value was 1.6% in 2013.
- What is the lowest external balance on goods and services recorded in High income?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.6% in 1984.
- How does High income rank for external balance on goods and services?
- High income ranks 18th out of 44 groups with data for 2025.
- Is external balance on goods and services rising or falling in High income?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this High income 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.