External balance on goods and services in Somalia
Somalia: External balance on goods and services was -69.6% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
External balance on goods and services in Somalia, 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 Somalia stood at -69.6%. That is the lowest value across all 45 years on record.
That represents a change of down 2.4% on the previous year and down 62.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external balance on goods and services in Somalia peaked at -3.5% in 1965 and was at its lowest, -69.6%, in 2025.
Somalia ranks 191st of 193 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
External balance on goods and services in Somalia, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | -4.4% | — |
| 1961 | -7.1% | +60.0% |
| 1962 | -14.7% | +107.7% |
| 1963 | -10.1% | -31.4% |
| 1964 | -14.5% | +43.1% |
| 1965 | -3.5% | -75.9% |
| 1966 | -7.6% | +118.4% |
| 1967 | -8.6% | +13.0% |
| 1968 | -6.6% | -23.0% |
| 1969 | -7.7% | +15.6% |
| 1970 | -4.8% | -36.8% |
| 1971 | -6.3% | +31.0% |
| 1972 | -4.5% | -29.4% |
| 1973 | -13.6% | +203.5% |
| 1974 | -18.4% | +35.3% |
| 1975 | -13.5% | -26.4% |
| 1976 | -12.8% | -5.5% |
| 1977 | -39.0% | +204.5% |
| 1978 | -30.3% | -22.2% |
| 1979 | -51.3% | +69.4% |
| 1980 | -55.4% | +8.0% |
| 1981 | -43.5% | -21.4% |
| 1982 | -42.1% | -3.4% |
| 1983 | -49.0% | +16.4% |
| 1984 | -46.5% | -4.9% |
| 1985 | -13.0% | -72.1% |
| 1986 | -22.8% | +75.3% |
| 1987 | -24.3% | +6.7% |
| 1988 | -17.1% | -29.5% |
| 1989 | -34.4% | +100.7% |
| 1990 | -24.9% | -27.8% |
| 2012 | -49.5% | +99.0% |
| 2013 | -46.1% | -6.8% |
| 2014 | -43.4% | -5.9% |
| 2015 | -42.7% | -1.5% |
| 2016 | -42.1% | -1.5% |
| 2017 | -42.6% | +1.2% |
| 2018 | -45.4% | +6.6% |
| 2019 | -44.2% | -2.7% |
| 2020 | -48.4% | +9.6% |
| 2021 | -46.8% | -3.3% |
| 2022 | -55.4% | +18.4% |
| 2023 | -59.2% | +6.9% |
| 2024 | -67.9% | +14.6% |
| 2025 | -69.6% | +2.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | -8.5% | -14.7% | -3.5% | 10 |
| 1970s | -19.5% | -51.3% | -4.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | -34.8% | -55.4% | -13.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | -24.9% | -24.9% | -24.9% | 1 |
| 2010s | -44.5% | -49.5% | -42.1% | 8 |
| 2020s | -57.9% | -69.6% | -46.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Somalia
- 188 Afghanistan -52.4% compare
- 189 Lesotho -54.9% compare
- 190 Guam -56.1% compare
- 192 Timor-Leste -74.3% compare
- 193 Kiribati -93.1% compare
More economy & growth data for Somalia
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.52 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 4.5 Percent per annum (2029)
- Total reserves minus gold (current US$), annual growth rate 0.6536 % change on previous year (1989)
- Total reserves minus gold (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.013 current US$ per US$ of GDP (1989)
- Total reserves minus gold (current US$), per capita 2.16 current US$ per person (1989)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$) 13.22 % change on previous year (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$), per 0.0811 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$), per 53.63 current US$ per person (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current LCU) 21.22 % change on previous year (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current LCU), per 2,442 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is external balance on goods and services in Somalia?
- External balance on goods and services in Somalia was -69.6% 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 Somalia?
- The highest recorded value was -3.5% in 1965.
- What is the lowest external balance on goods and services recorded in Somalia?
- The lowest recorded value was -69.6% in 2025.
- How does Somalia rank for external balance on goods and services?
- Somalia ranks 191st out of 193 countries with data for 2025.
- Is external balance on goods and services rising or falling in Somalia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 62.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Somalia 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.