External balance on goods and services in Low & middle income
Low & middle income: External balance on goods and services was 0.9% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
External balance on goods and services in Low & middle income, 1960–2025
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 Low & middle income stood at 0.9%.
That represents a change of up 104.2% on the previous year and up 3,345.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external balance on goods and services in Low & middle income peaked at 2.7% in 2006 and was at its lowest, -4.2%, in 1981.
Low & middle income ranks 19th of 44 groups on this measure, 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 Low & middle income, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | -1.3% | — |
| 1961 | -0.9% | -31.7% |
| 1962 | -0.9% | +9.9% |
| 1963 | -0.7% | -26.1% |
| 1964 | -1.1% | +53.2% |
| 1965 | -0.9% | -18.3% |
| 1966 | -1.0% | +18.7% |
| 1967 | -1.2% | +11.6% |
| 1968 | -1.1% | -2.8% |
| 1969 | -1.0% | -11.0% |
| 1970 | -1.4% | +37.5% |
| 1971 | -1.6% | +18.3% |
| 1972 | -0.9% | -42.1% |
| 1973 | 0.0% | -103.7% |
| 1974 | 0.0% | +34.6% |
| 1975 | -2.9% | -6356.7% |
| 1976 | -1.3% | -55.5% |
| 1977 | -1.8% | +36.1% |
| 1978 | -2.1% | +20.1% |
| 1979 | -0.6% | -73.9% |
| 1980 | -2.2% | +289.8% |
| 1981 | -4.2% | +95.7% |
| 1982 | -3.4% | -20.3% |
| 1983 | -1.7% | -50.5% |
| 1984 | -0.6% | -62.4% |
| 1985 | -1.3% | +108.7% |
| 1986 | -2.2% | +70.9% |
| 1987 | -0.5% | -77.8% |
| 1988 | -1.2% | +136.4% |
| 1989 | -1.1% | -5.9% |
| 1990 | -1.0% | -8.4% |
| 1991 | -1.5% | +48.3% |
| 1992 | -1.8% | +19.5% |
| 1993 | -2.4% | +33.2% |
| 1994 | -1.5% | -36.1% |
| 1995 | -1.3% | -11.5% |
| 1996 | -1.2% | -12.7% |
| 1997 | -0.7% | -36.7% |
| 1998 | -0.4% | -40.2% |
| 1999 | 0.4% | -179.5% |
| 2000 | 0.6% | +80.4% |
| 2001 | 0.3% | -60.8% |
| 2002 | 1.0% | +279.5% |
| 2003 | 1.0% | +2.1% |
| 2004 | 0.9% | -12.3% |
| 2005 | 1.8% | +112.1% |
| 2006 | 2.7% | +51.5% |
| 2007 | 2.6% | -4.5% |
| 2008 | 2.0% | -24.6% |
| 2009 | 0.7% | -65.9% |
| 2010 | 0.7% | +8.8% |
| 2011 | 0.3% | -54.5% |
| 2012 | 0.0% | -93.8% |
| 2013 | -0.3% | -1773.6% |
| 2014 | -0.3% | -11.5% |
| 2015 | -0.0% | -90.7% |
| 2016 | -0.1% | +383.4% |
| 2017 | -0.3% | +129.4% |
| 2018 | -0.7% | +128.6% |
| 2019 | -0.5% | -33.5% |
| 2020 | 0.3% | -168.3% |
| 2021 | 0.3% | -11.4% |
| 2022 | 0.4% | +53.0% |
| 2023 | 0.2% | -58.9% |
| 2024 | 0.4% | +147.9% |
| 2025 | 0.9% | +104.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | -1.0% | -1.3% | -0.7% | 10 |
| 1970s | -1.2% | -2.9% | 0.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | -1.8% | -4.2% | -0.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | -1.2% | -2.4% | 0.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.3% | 0.3% | 2.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | -0.1% | -0.7% | 0.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.4% | 0.2% | 0.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Low & middle income
- 16 United Arab Emirates 14.6% compare
- 17 Suriname 14.1% compare
- 18 Papua New Guinea 13.2% compare
- 19 Chad 12.7% compare
- 20 Norway 11.7% compare
- 21 Angola 11.3% compare
- 22 Netherlands 11.2% compare
More economy & growth data for Low & middle income
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0065 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 267.99 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- GDP (current US$), per capita 6,107 current US$ per person (2025)
- Services, value added (current US$), per capita 3,519 current US$ per person (2025)
- Services, value added (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 5.02 % change on previous year (2025)
- Services, value added (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.5412 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Services, value added (constant 2015 US$), per capita 3,305 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- GDP (current US$), annual growth rate 5.03 % change on previous year (2025)
- GDP (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.9385 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross domestic savings (current US$), annual growth rate 0.7748 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is external balance on goods and services in Low & middle income?
- External balance on goods and services in Low & middle 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 Low & middle income?
- The highest recorded value was 2.7% in 2006.
- What is the lowest external balance on goods and services recorded in Low & middle income?
- The lowest recorded value was -4.2% in 1981.
- How does Low & middle income rank for external balance on goods and services?
- Low & middle income ranks 19th out of 44 groups with data for 2025.
- Is external balance on goods and services rising or falling in Low & middle income?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3,345.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Low & middle 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.