Trade in services (% of GDP) in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Trade in services (% of GDP) was 9.0% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Trade in services in Afghanistan, 2008–2020
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2020, trade in services in Afghanistan stood at 9.0%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 8.8% on the previous year and down 55.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, trade in services in Afghanistan peaked at 23.3% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 8.6%, in 2017.
That places Afghanistan 167th out of 200 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 13 years of available data.
Trade in services (% of GDP) in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 20.2% | — |
| 2009 | 20.6% | +1.7% |
| 2010 | 20.3% | -1.4% |
| 2011 | 23.3% | +15.1% |
| 2012 | 18.3% | -21.8% |
| 2013 | 11.9% | -34.6% |
| 2014 | 13.9% | +16.1% |
| 2015 | 10.7% | -22.5% |
| 2016 | 9.1% | -15.7% |
| 2017 | 8.6% | -5.2% |
| 2018 | 11.6% | +35.6% |
| 2019 | 9.9% | -14.8% |
| 2020 | 9.0% | -8.8% |
Afghanistan compared with similar countries
- Afghanistan's 9.0% is below the median for low income countries, which is 11.3%, 80% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Afghanistan's 9.0% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 20.9%, 43% of the median. (22 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 20.4% | 20.2% | 20.6% | 2 |
| 2010s | 13.8% | 8.6% | 23.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.0% | 9.0% | 9.0% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
- 164 Nepal 9.6% compare
- 165 South Africa 9.3% compare
- 166 Burkina Faso 9.1% compare
- 168 Cote d'Ivoire 9.0% compare
- 169 Kazakhstan 8.8% compare
- 170 Ethiopia 8.8% compare
More economy & growth data for Afghanistan
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP -8.59 Percent per annum (2022)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP -6.24 Percent per annum (2022)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate -3.78 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0237 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 9.26 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate -8.37 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0182 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 6.76 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.01 % change on previous year (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0237 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is trade in services in Afghanistan?
- Trade in services in Afghanistan was 9.0% in 2020, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest trade in services recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 23.3% in 2011.
- What is the lowest trade in services recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.6% in 2017.
- How does Afghanistan rank for trade in services?
- Afghanistan ranks 167th out of 200 countries with data for 2020.
- Is trade in services rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 55.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Trade in services (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Total trade in services includes services provided by residents to non-residents plus services provided by non-residents to residents. 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.