External balance on goods and services in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)
Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries): External balance on goods and services was -0.2% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
External balance on goods and services in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries), 1960–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) recorded -0.2% for external balance on goods and services in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 28.8% on the previous year and up 86.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external balance on goods and services in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) peaked at 4.0% in 1984 and was at its lowest, -2.7%, in 1975.
That places Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) 24th 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 Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries), year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | -0.1% | — |
| 1961 | 0.2% | -417.3% |
| 1962 | -0.7% | -423.6% |
| 1963 | 0.5% | -168.9% |
| 1964 | -0.0% | -103.8% |
| 1965 | 0.9% | -4832.2% |
| 1966 | 0.2% | -79.6% |
| 1967 | 0.0% | -91.6% |
| 1968 | -0.6% | -3996.0% |
| 1969 | -0.5% | -16.0% |
| 1970 | -0.6% | +26.4% |
| 1971 | -1.4% | +115.2% |
| 1972 | -1.1% | -22.3% |
| 1973 | -0.2% | -76.6% |
| 1974 | -1.3% | +429.7% |
| 1975 | -2.7% | +106.3% |
| 1976 | -1.6% | -41.4% |
| 1977 | -1.5% | -7.5% |
| 1978 | -1.9% | +29.2% |
| 1979 | -1.6% | -18.5% |
| 1980 | -1.8% | +18.4% |
| 1981 | -2.0% | +10.9% |
| 1982 | -0.3% | -86.2% |
| 1983 | 3.6% | -1363.6% |
| 1984 | 4.0% | +12.0% |
| 1985 | 3.9% | -2.2% |
| 1986 | 1.7% | -56.0% |
| 1987 | 1.7% | -1.1% |
| 1988 | 2.0% | +15.0% |
| 1989 | 2.4% | +20.9% |
| 1990 | 1.5% | -35.0% |
| 1991 | 0.1% | -94.0% |
| 1992 | -1.3% | -1495.7% |
| 1993 | -1.8% | +40.4% |
| 1994 | -2.1% | +17.4% |
| 1995 | -0.9% | -57.4% |
| 1996 | -1.1% | +19.6% |
| 1997 | -1.9% | +77.8% |
| 1998 | -2.5% | +30.1% |
| 1999 | -1.2% | -50.2% |
| 2000 | -1.3% | +4.7% |
| 2001 | -1.3% | -3.0% |
| 2002 | 0.2% | -116.6% |
| 2003 | 1.1% | +405.2% |
| 2004 | 1.6% | +48.4% |
| 2005 | 1.6% | +1.1% |
| 2006 | 1.9% | +16.5% |
| 2007 | 1.0% | -44.9% |
| 2008 | -0.6% | -157.6% |
| 2009 | 0.3% | -158.3% |
| 2010 | -0.2% | -149.5% |
| 2011 | -0.2% | -6.5% |
| 2012 | -0.6% | +289.4% |
| 2013 | -2.0% | +220.5% |
| 2014 | -1.3% | -32.4% |
| 2015 | -1.7% | +28.1% |
| 2016 | -0.8% | -53.1% |
| 2017 | -0.6% | -28.3% |
| 2018 | -0.9% | +49.2% |
| 2019 | -0.5% | -44.8% |
| 2020 | 0.4% | -174.2% |
| 2021 | -1.2% | -432.9% |
| 2022 | -2.0% | +69.0% |
| 2023 | -0.4% | -81.6% |
| 2024 | -0.2% | -49.2% |
| 2025 | -0.2% | +28.8% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where External balance on goods and services in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | +4832.2% | -0.0% | 0.9% |
| 1968 | -3996.0% | 0.0% | -0.6% |
| 1992 | -1495.7% | 0.1% | -1.3% |
| 1983 | +1363.6% | -0.3% | 3.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | -0.0% | -0.7% | 0.9% | 10 |
| 1970s | -1.4% | -2.7% | -0.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.5% | -2.0% | 4.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | -1.1% | -2.5% | 1.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.5% | -1.3% | 1.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | -0.9% | -2.0% | -0.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | -0.6% | -2.0% | 0.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)
- 21 Angola 11.3% compare
- 22 Netherlands 11.2% compare
- 23 Denmark 11.0% compare
- 24 Switzerland 8.9% compare
- 25 Peru 8.1% compare
- 26 Aruba 7.8% compare
- 27 South Sudan 7.8% compare
More economy & growth data for Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current US$) 4.26 % change on previous year (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$), per 1,700 current US$ per person (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 2.17 % change on previous year (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 0.136 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 1,472 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current US$) 7,460 current US$ per person (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015) 0.5831 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015) 2.48 % change on previous year (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$), per 0.157 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current US$) 0.6893 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
All data for Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is external balance on goods and services in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- External balance on goods and services in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) was -0.2% 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 Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The highest recorded value was 4.0% in 1984.
- What is the lowest external balance on goods and services recorded in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The lowest recorded value was -2.7% in 1975.
- How does Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) rank for external balance on goods and services?
- Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 24th out of 44 groups with data for 2025.
- Is external balance on goods and services rising or falling in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 86.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) 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.