External balance on goods and services in United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates: External balance on goods and services was 14.6% in 2023. ▲ Rising
External balance on goods and services in United Arab Emirates, 2001–2023
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 United Arab Emirates is 14.6%, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 20.2% on the previous year and down 57.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external balance on goods and services in United Arab Emirates peaked at 34.6% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 5.8%, in 2009.
That places United Arab Emirates 16th out of 193 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 23 years of available data.
External balance on goods and services in United Arab Emirates, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 8.5% | — |
| 2002 | 5.9% | -29.8% |
| 2003 | 9.5% | +60.8% |
| 2004 | 10.5% | +10.1% |
| 2005 | 15.6% | +48.6% |
| 2006 | 17.8% | +13.9% |
| 2007 | 8.0% | -55.2% |
| 2008 | 9.2% | +15.7% |
| 2009 | 5.8% | -36.6% |
| 2010 | 19.4% | +232.0% |
| 2011 | 27.1% | +39.6% |
| 2012 | 34.6% | +27.6% |
| 2013 | 34.1% | -1.3% |
| 2014 | 30.0% | -12.0% |
| 2015 | 23.4% | -22.0% |
| 2016 | 23.6% | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 24.0% | +1.9% |
| 2018 | 26.9% | +12.3% |
| 2019 | 22.8% | -15.4% |
| 2020 | 14.9% | -34.8% |
| 2021 | 18.4% | +23.7% |
| 2022 | 18.4% | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 14.6% | -20.2% |
United Arab Emirates compared with similar countries
- United Arab Emirates's 14.6% is above the median for high income countries, which is 2.2%, 6.5× the median. (72 countries reporting)
- United Arab Emirates's 14.6% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is -5.3%. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where External balance on goods and services in United Arab Emirates changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | +232.0% | 5.8% | 19.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 10.1% | 5.8% | 17.8% | 9 |
| 2010s | 26.6% | 19.4% | 34.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.6% | 14.6% | 18.4% | 4 |
Countries ranked near United Arab Emirates
More economy & growth data for United Arab Emirates
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 3.85 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 4.54 Percent per annum (2029)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 77.17 billion BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.1397 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 7,024 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 45.64 billion BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual 48.71 % change on previous year (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0826 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 4,154 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 22.86 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is external balance on goods and services in United Arab Emirates?
- External balance on goods and services in United Arab Emirates was 14.6% in 2023, according to Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks.
- What is the highest external balance on goods and services recorded in United Arab Emirates?
- The highest recorded value was 34.6% in 2012.
- What is the lowest external balance on goods and services recorded in United Arab Emirates?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.8% in 2009.
- How does United Arab Emirates rank for external balance on goods and services?
- United Arab Emirates ranks 16th out of 193 countries with data for 2023.
- Is external balance on goods and services rising or falling in United Arab Emirates?
- Over the last ten years it is down 57.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Arab Emirates 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 — 23 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.