External balance on goods and services in OECD members
OECD members: External balance on goods and services was -0.1% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
External balance on goods and services in OECD members, 1970–2025
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 OECD members is -0.1%, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of down 129.0% on the previous year and down 136.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external balance on goods and services in OECD members peaked at 0.6% in 1995 and was at its lowest, -1.3%, in 1980.
That places OECD members 23rd 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 OECD members, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 0.1% | — |
| 1971 | 0.2% | +82.1% |
| 1972 | 0.1% | -38.9% |
| 1973 | -0.1% | -188.9% |
| 1974 | -1.1% | +956.7% |
| 1975 | -0.2% | -78.3% |
| 1976 | -0.7% | +176.7% |
| 1977 | -0.7% | +1.5% |
| 1978 | -0.1% | -77.8% |
| 1979 | -0.9% | +523.4% |
| 1980 | -1.3% | +36.3% |
| 1981 | -0.7% | -43.0% |
| 1982 | -0.5% | -31.2% |
| 1983 | -0.3% | -31.8% |
| 1984 | -0.5% | +57.2% |
| 1985 | -0.5% | -4.4% |
| 1986 | -0.2% | -53.7% |
| 1987 | -0.4% | +77.1% |
| 1988 | -0.4% | -14.5% |
| 1989 | -0.6% | +55.9% |
| 1990 | -0.5% | -7.7% |
| 1991 | 0.0% | -101.5% |
| 1992 | 0.2% | +1879.6% |
| 1993 | 0.5% | +206.9% |
| 1994 | 0.4% | -7.6% |
| 1995 | 0.6% | +38.5% |
| 1996 | 0.4% | -30.4% |
| 1997 | 0.6% | +33.8% |
| 1998 | 0.4% | -33.4% |
| 1999 | -0.1% | -139.1% |
| 2000 | -0.7% | +385.5% |
| 2001 | -0.6% | -9.9% |
| 2002 | -0.6% | -14.4% |
| 2003 | -0.7% | +23.0% |
| 2004 | -0.7% | -2.7% |
| 2005 | -1.1% | +67.6% |
| 2006 | -1.2% | +13.0% |
| 2007 | -0.9% | -28.4% |
| 2008 | -1.1% | +21.0% |
| 2009 | -0.1% | -91.1% |
| 2010 | -0.4% | +279.3% |
| 2011 | -0.6% | +62.1% |
| 2012 | -0.3% | -44.1% |
| 2013 | -0.0% | -97.8% |
| 2014 | 0.1% | -1056.8% |
| 2015 | 0.2% | +199.8% |
| 2016 | 0.3% | +65.3% |
| 2017 | 0.3% | -8.9% |
| 2018 | 0.2% | -46.7% |
| 2019 | 0.1% | -28.9% |
| 2020 | 0.1% | +22.0% |
| 2021 | 0.1% | -28.5% |
| 2022 | -0.9% | -925.8% |
| 2023 | 0.0% | -102.5% |
| 2024 | 0.3% | +1139.6% |
| 2025 | -0.1% | -129.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | -0.3% | -1.1% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | -0.5% | -1.3% | -0.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.2% | -0.5% | 0.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | -0.8% | -1.2% | -0.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | -0.0% | -0.6% | 0.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | -0.1% | -0.9% | 0.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near OECD members
More economy & growth data for OECD members
- Manufacturing, value added (current US$), per capita 5,528 current US$ per person (2022)
- Imports of goods and services (current US$), per capita 14,656 current US$ per person (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 3.83 % change on previous year (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.2346 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), per capita 12,136 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (constant 2015 US$) 0.6526 % change on previous year (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (constant 2015 US$) 0.0107 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (constant 2015 US$) 523.51 constant 2015 US$ per person (2024)
- Manufacturing, value added (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1243 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2022)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) -0.7716 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is external balance on goods and services in OECD members?
- External balance on goods and services in OECD members was -0.1% 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 OECD members?
- The highest recorded value was 0.6% in 1995.
- What is the lowest external balance on goods and services recorded in OECD members?
- The lowest recorded value was -1.3% in 1980.
- How does OECD members rank for external balance on goods and services?
- OECD members ranks 23rd out of 44 groups with data for 2025.
- Is external balance on goods and services rising or falling in OECD members?
- Over the last ten years it is down 136.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this OECD members 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.