External balance on goods and services in Least developed countries
Least developed countries: External balance on goods and services was -6.8% in 2025. ▼ Falling
External balance on goods and services in Least developed countries, 1994–2025
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 Least developed countries is -6.8%, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 14.5% on the previous year and up 39.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external balance on goods and services in Least developed countries peaked at -2.0% in 2006 and was at its lowest, -11.3%, in 2015.
Least developed countries ranks 39th of 44 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 32 years of available data.
External balance on goods and services in Least developed countries, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | -4.6% | — |
| 1995 | -8.1% | +77.6% |
| 1996 | -9.7% | +20.0% |
| 1997 | -8.2% | -15.6% |
| 1998 | -9.3% | +13.1% |
| 1999 | -8.8% | -5.7% |
| 2000 | -6.6% | -24.7% |
| 2001 | -7.3% | +11.3% |
| 2002 | -7.9% | +7.0% |
| 2003 | -8.2% | +3.9% |
| 2004 | -6.4% | -22.0% |
| 2005 | -4.7% | -25.9% |
| 2006 | -2.0% | -57.2% |
| 2007 | -3.0% | +50.0% |
| 2008 | -3.5% | +16.2% |
| 2009 | -9.0% | +157.3% |
| 2010 | -4.8% | -47.0% |
| 2011 | -4.6% | -3.1% |
| 2012 | -6.7% | +43.6% |
| 2013 | -8.9% | +32.8% |
| 2014 | -8.9% | +0.8% |
| 2015 | -11.3% | +26.5% |
| 2016 | -9.7% | -14.1% |
| 2017 | -8.5% | -11.9% |
| 2018 | -9.3% | +8.9% |
| 2019 | -8.6% | -7.5% |
| 2020 | -8.3% | -3.4% |
| 2021 | -7.8% | -6.5% |
| 2022 | -8.9% | +15.2% |
| 2023 | -8.0% | -10.1% |
| 2024 | -8.0% | -0.5% |
| 2025 | -6.8% | -14.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | -8.1% | -9.7% | -4.6% | 6 |
| 2000s | -5.9% | -9.0% | -2.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | -8.1% | -11.3% | -4.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | -8.0% | -8.9% | -6.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Least developed countries
- 36 Malaysia 5.5% compare
- 37 Mongolia 5.4% compare
- 38 Slovenia 5.4% compare
- 39 Republic of Korea 5.2% compare
- 40 Panama 5.0% compare
- 41 Côte d'Ivoire 5.0% compare
- 42 Burkina Faso 5.0% compare
More economy & growth data for Least developed countries
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) 331.34 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added 29.7% (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), per 0.2968 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Services, value added 737.78 billion current US$ (2025)
- Services, value added 622.97 billion constant 2015 US$ (2025)
- Services, value added 44.6% (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), per 404.27 current US$ per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) 4.95 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) 0.2433 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Services, value added (constant 2015 US$), per capita 513.09 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is external balance on goods and services in Least developed countries?
- External balance on goods and services in Least developed countries was -6.8% 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 Least developed countries?
- The highest recorded value was -2.0% in 2006.
- What is the lowest external balance on goods and services recorded in Least developed countries?
- The lowest recorded value was -11.3% in 2015.
- How does Least developed countries rank for external balance on goods and services?
- Least developed countries ranks 39th out of 44 groups with data for 2025.
- Is external balance on goods and services rising or falling in Least developed countries?
- Over the last ten years it is up 39.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Least developed 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 32 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.