External balance on goods and services in World
World: External balance on goods and services was 1.0% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
External balance on goods and services in World, 1970–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
World recorded 1.0% for external balance on goods and services in 2025. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.6% on the previous year and up 30.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external balance on goods and services in World peaked at 1.0% in 2025 and was at its lowest, -0.8%, in 1982.
World ranks 17th 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 World, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 0.0% | — |
| 1971 | 0.1% | +1344.4% |
| 1972 | 0.2% | +82.7% |
| 1973 | 0.3% | +69.6% |
| 1974 | -0.2% | -162.4% |
| 1975 | -0.0% | -90.7% |
| 1976 | -0.2% | +932.0% |
| 1977 | -0.4% | +125.1% |
| 1978 | -0.2% | -39.9% |
| 1979 | -0.4% | +67.2% |
| 1980 | -0.6% | +40.6% |
| 1981 | -0.5% | -5.6% |
| 1982 | -0.8% | +46.1% |
| 1983 | -0.6% | -18.2% |
| 1984 | -0.6% | -8.6% |
| 1985 | -0.6% | -0.8% |
| 1986 | -0.5% | -21.7% |
| 1987 | -0.3% | -32.4% |
| 1988 | -0.4% | +17.1% |
| 1989 | -0.5% | +32.7% |
| 1990 | -0.4% | -17.8% |
| 1991 | -0.1% | -83.5% |
| 1992 | 0.3% | -630.6% |
| 1993 | 0.4% | +23.0% |
| 1994 | 0.5% | +6.0% |
| 1995 | 0.5% | +4.3% |
| 1996 | 0.4% | -15.2% |
| 1997 | 0.5% | +35.1% |
| 1998 | 0.4% | -18.5% |
| 1999 | 0.3% | -38.5% |
| 2000 | 0.0% | -88.7% |
| 2001 | -0.0% | -222.4% |
| 2002 | 0.2% | -563.8% |
| 2003 | 0.2% | -8.9% |
| 2004 | 0.2% | +45.5% |
| 2005 | 0.3% | +29.1% |
| 2006 | 0.5% | +68.1% |
| 2007 | 0.7% | +34.8% |
| 2008 | 0.5% | -18.0% |
| 2009 | 0.6% | +16.9% |
| 2010 | 0.8% | +21.4% |
| 2011 | 0.8% | +7.8% |
| 2012 | 0.9% | +8.3% |
| 2013 | 0.9% | +4.5% |
| 2014 | 0.9% | -7.5% |
| 2015 | 0.8% | -14.2% |
| 2016 | 0.7% | -2.2% |
| 2017 | 0.7% | +1.3% |
| 2018 | 0.7% | -9.7% |
| 2019 | 0.5% | -19.4% |
| 2020 | 0.6% | +19.3% |
| 2021 | 0.9% | +43.8% |
| 2022 | 0.8% | -17.3% |
| 2023 | 0.8% | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 1.0% | +24.8% |
| 2025 | 1.0% | +1.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | -0.1% | -0.4% | 0.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | -0.5% | -0.8% | -0.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.3% | -0.4% | 0.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.3% | -0.0% | 0.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.8% | 0.5% | 0.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.8% | 0.6% | 1.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near World
More economy & growth data for World
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 2.23 Percent per annum (2028)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 3.11 Percent per annum (2028)
- Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$), per capita 8,712 constant 2015 US$ per person (2024)
- Gross national expenditure (current US$), annual growth rate 4.1 % change on previous year (2024)
- Gross national expenditure (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.9941 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Gross national expenditure (current US$), per capita 13,636 current US$ per person (2024)
- Gross national expenditure (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 2.75 % change on previous year (2024)
- Gross national expenditure (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.8627 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Gross national expenditure (constant 2015 US$), per capita 11,834 constant 2015 US$ per person (2024)
- Exports of goods and services (current US$), annual growth rate 7.45 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is external balance on goods and services in World?
- External balance on goods and services in World was 1.0% 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 World?
- The highest recorded value was 1.0% in 2025.
- What is the lowest external balance on goods and services recorded in World?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.8% in 1982.
- How does World rank for external balance on goods and services?
- World ranks 17th out of 44 groups with data for 2025.
- Is external balance on goods and services rising or falling in World?
- Over the last ten years it is up 30.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this World 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.