Merchandise trade as a proportion of GDP (%) in United States
United States: Merchandise trade as a proportion of GDP (%) was 18.9% in 2024. ▬ Flat
Latest (2024)
18.9%
Change on year
down 0.7%
World rank
214th
of 220 countries
All-time high
24.0%
in 2011
All-time low
17.3%
in 2002
Years of data
25
2000–2024
Merchandise trade as a proportion of GDP in United States, 2000–2024
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, merchandise trade as a proportion of gdp in United States stood at 18.9%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.7% on the previous year and down 17.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise trade as a proportion of gdp in United States peaked at 24.0% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 17.3%, in 2002.
That places United States 214th out of 220 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Merchandise trade as a proportion of GDP (%) in United States, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 19.9% | — |
| 2001 | 18.0% | -9.4% |
| 2002 | 17.3% | -3.9% |
| 2003 | 17.7% | +2.2% |
| 2004 | 19.2% | +8.2% |
| 2005 | 20.2% | +5.4% |
| 2006 | 21.3% | +5.5% |
| 2007 | 21.9% | +2.7% |
| 2008 | 23.4% | +6.9% |
| 2009 | 18.4% | -21.5% |
| 2010 | 21.6% | +17.4% |
| 2011 | 24.0% | +11.3% |
| 2012 | 23.9% | -0.6% |
| 2013 | 23.2% | -2.8% |
| 2014 | 23.0% | -1.0% |
| 2015 | 21.0% | -8.7% |
| 2016 | 19.8% | -5.6% |
| 2017 | 20.3% | +2.6% |
| 2018 | 20.8% | +2.6% |
| 2019 | 19.7% | -5.5% |
| 2020 | 18.2% | -7.6% |
| 2021 | 20.1% | +10.5% |
| 2022 | 21.2% | +5.6% |
| 2023 | 19.0% | -10.5% |
| 2024 | 18.9% | -0.7% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 18.9% is below the median for high income countries, which is 56.9%, 33% of the median. (73 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 19.7% | 17.3% | 23.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 21.7% | 19.7% | 24.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 19.5% | 18.2% | 21.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near United States
More economy & growth data for United States
- Real gdp growth, annual growth rate -24.2 % change on previous year (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.63 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.12 Percent per annum (2029)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate 4.26 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0057 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 509.07 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate -0.7205 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0041 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 371.72 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 0.9623 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise trade as a proportion of gdp in United States?
- Merchandise trade as a proportion of gdp in United States was 18.9% in 2024, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest merchandise trade as a proportion of gdp recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 24.0% in 2011.
- What is the lowest merchandise trade as a proportion of gdp recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.3% in 2002.
- How does United States rank for merchandise trade as a proportion of gdp?
- United States ranks 214th out of 220 countries with data for 2024.
- Is merchandise trade as a proportion of gdp rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Merchandise trade as a proportion of GDP (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).