External balance on goods and services in Switzerland
Switzerland: External balance on goods and services was 8.9% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
External balance on goods and services in Switzerland, 1970–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Switzerland recorded 8.9% for external balance on goods and services in 2025.
The figure is down 25.8% on the previous year and down 11.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external balance on goods and services in Switzerland peaked at 13.7% in 2022 and was at its lowest, -2.8%, in 1980.
Switzerland ranks 24th of 193 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
External balance on goods and services in Switzerland, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | -0.8% | — |
| 1971 | -0.6% | -16.7% |
| 1972 | 0.1% | -118.3% |
| 1973 | -0.1% | -208.5% |
| 1974 | -1.1% | +745.3% |
| 1975 | 4.6% | -534.1% |
| 1976 | 5.3% | +13.4% |
| 1977 | 4.5% | -14.2% |
| 1978 | 4.3% | -5.1% |
| 1979 | 0.8% | -82.4% |
| 1980 | -2.8% | -471.1% |
| 1981 | -0.1% | -96.9% |
| 1982 | 0.0% | -104.0% |
| 1983 | -1.5% | -44643.7% |
| 1984 | 2.2% | -242.8% |
| 1985 | 1.9% | -12.0% |
| 1986 | 0.3% | -86.1% |
| 1987 | 0.8% | +187.9% |
| 1988 | 0.7% | -6.3% |
| 1989 | 0.6% | -12.0% |
| 1990 | -0.3% | -148.0% |
| 1991 | 0.9% | -395.2% |
| 1992 | 2.1% | +127.3% |
| 1993 | 3.4% | +66.3% |
| 1994 | 3.4% | +0.8% |
| 1995 | 3.3% | -5.4% |
| 1996 | 2.8% | -13.6% |
| 1997 | 4.0% | +41.9% |
| 1998 | 3.2% | -20.5% |
| 1999 | 3.2% | +2.1% |
| 2000 | 4.4% | +34.3% |
| 2001 | 3.7% | -16.1% |
| 2002 | 4.7% | +28.7% |
| 2003 | 4.6% | -2.6% |
| 2004 | 6.7% | +45.5% |
| 2005 | 5.1% | -23.8% |
| 2006 | 6.6% | +30.1% |
| 2007 | 9.5% | +43.3% |
| 2008 | 9.2% | -2.7% |
| 2009 | 6.2% | -33.1% |
| 2010 | 9.5% | +54.8% |
| 2011 | 7.4% | -22.8% |
| 2012 | 9.0% | +22.2% |
| 2013 | 10.3% | +14.3% |
| 2014 | 10.2% | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 10.1% | -0.9% |
| 2016 | 9.5% | -6.0% |
| 2017 | 8.3% | -12.6% |
| 2018 | 10.0% | +19.8% |
| 2019 | 9.3% | -7.2% |
| 2020 | 5.7% | -38.7% |
| 2021 | 11.9% | +109.0% |
| 2022 | 13.7% | +15.3% |
| 2023 | 10.9% | -20.4% |
| 2024 | 12.1% | +10.5% |
| 2025 | 8.9% | -25.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.7% | -1.1% | 5.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.2% | -2.8% | 2.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.6% | -0.3% | 4.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.0% | 3.7% | 9.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.4% | 7.4% | 10.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.5% | 5.7% | 13.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Switzerland
More economy & growth data for Switzerland
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 0.6894 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 1.2 Percent per annum (2029)
- Total reserves minus gold (current US$), annual growth rate 13.08 % change on previous year (2025)
- Total reserves minus gold (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.8909 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Total reserves minus gold (current US$), per capita 102,244 current US$ per person (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$) 8.74 % change on previous year (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$), per 0.1204 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$), per 13,821 current US$ per person (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current LCU) 2.68 % change on previous year (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current LCU), per 0.1001 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is external balance on goods and services in Switzerland?
- External balance on goods and services in Switzerland was 8.9% 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 Switzerland?
- The highest recorded value was 13.7% in 2022.
- What is the lowest external balance on goods and services recorded in Switzerland?
- The lowest recorded value was -2.8% in 1980.
- How does Switzerland rank for external balance on goods and services?
- Switzerland ranks 24th out of 193 countries with data for 2025.
- Is external balance on goods and services rising or falling in Switzerland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Switzerland 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.