External balance on goods and services in Italy
Italy: External balance on goods and services was 1.9% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
External balance on goods and services in Italy, 1970–2025
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 Italy stood at 1.9%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 7.1% on the previous year and down 32.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external balance on goods and services in Italy peaked at 4.5% in 1996 and was at its lowest, -3.7%, in 1974.
That places Italy 64th out of 193 countries 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 Italy, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 0.2% | — |
| 1971 | 0.8% | +234.8% |
| 1972 | 0.8% | +5.3% |
| 1973 | -1.8% | -330.5% |
| 1974 | -3.7% | +102.6% |
| 1975 | 0.1% | -101.7% |
| 1976 | -1.1% | -1821.3% |
| 1977 | 0.9% | -186.1% |
| 1978 | 2.1% | +120.0% |
| 1979 | 1.1% | -49.3% |
| 1980 | -2.6% | -345.3% |
| 1981 | -1.9% | -25.0% |
| 1982 | -1.3% | -35.0% |
| 1983 | 0.5% | -137.5% |
| 1984 | -0.4% | -189.6% |
| 1985 | -0.4% | -3.4% |
| 1986 | 1.2% | -402.1% |
| 1987 | 0.4% | -67.4% |
| 1988 | 0.0% | -88.9% |
| 1989 | -0.0% | -143.3% |
| 1990 | 0.2% | -1113.4% |
| 1991 | 0.2% | -1.8% |
| 1992 | 0.0% | -76.9% |
| 1993 | 3.0% | +6703.4% |
| 1994 | 3.3% | +8.2% |
| 1995 | 3.7% | +11.4% |
| 1996 | 4.5% | +23.8% |
| 1997 | 3.7% | -18.1% |
| 1998 | 3.0% | -18.2% |
| 1999 | 1.8% | -41.3% |
| 2000 | 0.8% | -52.3% |
| 2001 | 1.3% | +48.5% |
| 2002 | 0.8% | -40.1% |
| 2003 | 0.5% | -39.8% |
| 2004 | 0.6% | +29.4% |
| 2005 | -0.1% | -116.8% |
| 2006 | -0.8% | +730.1% |
| 2007 | -0.3% | -58.7% |
| 2008 | -0.7% | +115.6% |
| 2009 | -0.6% | -19.4% |
| 2010 | -1.8% | +210.8% |
| 2011 | -1.3% | -26.2% |
| 2012 | 1.1% | -180.7% |
| 2013 | 2.3% | +113.7% |
| 2014 | 2.8% | +20.2% |
| 2015 | 2.9% | +2.2% |
| 2016 | 3.2% | +11.0% |
| 2017 | 2.7% | -14.8% |
| 2018 | 2.4% | -12.8% |
| 2019 | 3.2% | +36.3% |
| 2020 | 3.5% | +9.6% |
| 2021 | 2.0% | -41.9% |
| 2022 | -1.8% | -189.1% |
| 2023 | 1.6% | -185.6% |
| 2024 | 2.1% | +33.5% |
| 2025 | 1.9% | -7.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | -0.1% | -3.7% | 2.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | -0.4% | -2.6% | 1.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.3% | 0.0% | 4.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.1% | -0.8% | 1.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.7% | -1.8% | 3.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.5% | -1.8% | 3.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Italy
More economy & growth data for Italy
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.18 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 0.8337 Percent per annum (2029)
- Total reserves minus gold (current US$), annual growth rate 5.69 % change on previous year (2025)
- Total reserves minus gold (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.0352 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Total reserves minus gold (current US$), per capita 1,523 current US$ per person (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$) 8.09 % change on previous year (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$), per 0.1825 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$), per 7,904 current US$ per person (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current LCU) 3.53 % change on previous year (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current LCU), per 0.1615 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is external balance on goods and services in Italy?
- External balance on goods and services in Italy was 1.9% 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 Italy?
- The highest recorded value was 4.5% in 1996.
- What is the lowest external balance on goods and services recorded in Italy?
- The lowest recorded value was -3.7% in 1974.
- How does Italy rank for external balance on goods and services?
- Italy ranks 64th out of 193 countries with data for 2025.
- Is external balance on goods and services rising or falling in Italy?
- Over the last ten years it is down 32.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Italy 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.