External balance on goods and services in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: External balance on goods and services was -5.4% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
External balance on goods and services in Zimbabwe, 1975–2024
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 Zimbabwe is -5.4%, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 11.0% on the previous year and up 57.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external balance on goods and services in Zimbabwe peaked at 3.9% in 1999 and was at its lowest, -26.6%, in 2008.
Zimbabwe ranks 110th of 193 countries 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 Zimbabwe, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | -1.7% | — |
| 1976 | 2.4% | -241.6% |
| 1977 | 1.2% | -50.2% |
| 1978 | 2.0% | +72.9% |
| 1979 | -0.9% | -142.3% |
| 1980 | -3.2% | +266.5% |
| 1981 | -6.5% | +105.4% |
| 1982 | -5.3% | -18.3% |
| 1983 | -3.0% | -42.7% |
| 1984 | -0.2% | -92.0% |
| 1985 | 0.2% | -181.1% |
| 1986 | 2.5% | +1177.8% |
| 1987 | 2.7% | +8.4% |
| 1988 | 3.4% | +23.3% |
| 1989 | 1.6% | -52.0% |
| 1990 | 0.1% | -95.4% |
| 1991 | -3.3% | -4512.7% |
| 1992 | -9.3% | +181.8% |
| 1993 | -1.7% | -81.3% |
| 1994 | -1.9% | +11.0% |
| 1995 | -2.7% | +39.9% |
| 1996 | 0.2% | -107.1% |
| 1997 | -7.0% | -3794.8% |
| 1998 | -1.7% | -75.4% |
| 1999 | 3.9% | -325.8% |
| 2000 | 2.3% | -42.2% |
| 2001 | 2.0% | -10.3% |
| 2002 | -3.1% | -255.4% |
| 2003 | -5.7% | +80.2% |
| 2004 | -7.1% | +25.4% |
| 2005 | -8.9% | +26.1% |
| 2006 | -10.9% | +21.9% |
| 2007 | -8.6% | -21.1% |
| 2008 | -26.6% | +209.1% |
| 2009 | -22.8% | -14.2% |
| 2010 | -23.8% | +4.5% |
| 2011 | -19.9% | -16.7% |
| 2012 | -23.8% | +20.0% |
| 2013 | -14.7% | -38.4% |
| 2014 | -12.8% | -12.7% |
| 2015 | -18.4% | +43.8% |
| 2016 | -11.3% | -38.5% |
| 2017 | -5.7% | -49.6% |
| 2018 | -2.2% | -61.1% |
| 2019 | -0.5% | -79.7% |
| 2020 | -1.8% | +307.6% |
| 2021 | -3.6% | +98.4% |
| 2022 | -6.1% | +66.9% |
| 2023 | -6.1% | -0.3% |
| 2024 | -5.4% | -11.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.6% | -1.7% | 2.4% | 5 |
| 1980s | -0.8% | -6.5% | 3.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | -2.3% | -9.3% | 3.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | -8.9% | -26.6% | 2.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | -13.3% | -23.8% | -0.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | -4.6% | -6.1% | -1.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
More economy & growth data for Zimbabwe
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.02 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 3 Percent per annum (2029)
- Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$), per capita 1,133 constant 2015 US$ per person (2024)
- Gross national expenditure (current US$), annual growth rate 15.07 % change on previous year (2024)
- Gross national expenditure (current US$), per unit of GDP 1.05 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Gross national expenditure (current US$), per capita 2,632 current US$ per person (2024)
- Gross national expenditure (current LCU), annual growth rate 814.8 % change on previous year (2023)
- Gross national expenditure (current LCU), per unit of GDP 20.89 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Gross national expenditure (current LCU), per capita 52,138 current LCU per person (2024)
- Gross national expenditure (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 1.5 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is external balance on goods and services in Zimbabwe?
- External balance on goods and services in Zimbabwe was -5.4% in 2024, according to Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks.
- What is the highest external balance on goods and services recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 3.9% in 1999.
- What is the lowest external balance on goods and services recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was -26.6% in 2008.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for external balance on goods and services?
- Zimbabwe ranks 110th out of 193 countries with data for 2024.
- Is external balance on goods and services rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is up 57.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Zimbabwe 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.