Trade in European Union
European Union: Trade was 90.1% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Trade in European Union, 1970–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for trade in European Union is 90.1%, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of down 1.6% on the previous year and up 4.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, trade in European Union peaked at 103.7% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 39.8%, in 1971.
European Union ranks 5th of 43 groups on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
Trade in European Union, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 40.2% | — |
| 1971 | 39.8% | -0.9% |
| 1972 | 39.9% | +0.2% |
| 1973 | 42.2% | +5.7% |
| 1974 | 49.2% | +16.6% |
| 1975 | 45.1% | -8.2% |
| 1976 | 47.7% | +5.6% |
| 1977 | 47.7% | +0.2% |
| 1978 | 46.5% | -2.6% |
| 1979 | 49.5% | +6.4% |
| 1980 | 51.9% | +4.9% |
| 1981 | 54.5% | +4.9% |
| 1982 | 54.4% | -0.1% |
| 1983 | 54.3% | -0.2% |
| 1984 | 57.2% | +5.3% |
| 1985 | 57.7% | +0.8% |
| 1986 | 50.9% | -11.7% |
| 1987 | 50.4% | -1.1% |
| 1988 | 51.6% | +2.4% |
| 1989 | 54.4% | +5.4% |
| 1990 | 53.6% | -1.3% |
| 1991 | 53.8% | +0.4% |
| 1992 | 53.4% | -0.8% |
| 1993 | 51.8% | -2.9% |
| 1994 | 54.5% | +5.1% |
| 1995 | 57.1% | +4.8% |
| 1996 | 57.8% | +1.3% |
| 1997 | 61.9% | +7.1% |
| 1998 | 63.2% | +2.1% |
| 1999 | 64.0% | +1.2% |
| 2000 | 71.6% | +11.8% |
| 2001 | 70.7% | -1.2% |
| 2002 | 68.4% | -3.2% |
| 2003 | 67.4% | -1.6% |
| 2004 | 70.4% | +4.5% |
| 2005 | 73.6% | +4.5% |
| 2006 | 78.0% | +6.0% |
| 2007 | 79.8% | +2.3% |
| 2008 | 80.8% | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 70.5% | -12.7% |
| 2010 | 78.3% | +11.0% |
| 2011 | 83.5% | +6.6% |
| 2012 | 85.1% | +1.9% |
| 2013 | 84.8% | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 85.5% | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 86.7% | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 85.8% | -1.0% |
| 2017 | 88.7% | +3.4% |
| 2018 | 90.4% | +1.9% |
| 2019 | 90.6% | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 83.8% | -7.4% |
| 2021 | 91.2% | +8.8% |
| 2022 | 103.7% | +13.7% |
| 2023 | 95.2% | -8.2% |
| 2024 | 91.6% | -3.8% |
| 2025 | 90.1% | -1.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 44.8% | 39.8% | 49.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 53.7% | 50.4% | 57.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 57.1% | 51.8% | 64.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 73.1% | 67.4% | 80.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 85.9% | 78.3% | 90.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 92.6% | 83.8% | 103.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near European Union
- 2 Luxembourg 349.9% compare
- 3 San Marino 341.0% compare
- 4 Singapore 320.3% compare
- 5 Ireland 240.0% compare
- 6 Malta 219.0% compare
- 7 Djibouti 206.3% compare
- 8 United States Virgin Islands 205.6% compare
More economy & growth data for European Union
- Imports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.3645 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross capital formation (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.162 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross capital formation (constant 2015 US$), per capita 7,627 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (current US$), annual growth rate 8.24 % change on previous year (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.4582 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (current US$), per capita 21,574 current US$ per person (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 3.67 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (constant 2015 US$), annual 1.48 % change on previous year (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1427 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (constant 2015 US$) 485.94 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is trade in European Union?
- Trade in European Union was 90.1% in 2025, according to Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks.
- What is the highest trade recorded in European Union?
- The highest recorded value was 103.7% in 2022.
- What is the lowest trade recorded in European Union?
- The lowest recorded value was 39.8% in 1971.
- How does European Union rank for trade?
- European Union ranks 5th out of 43 groups with data for 2025.
- Is trade rising or falling in European Union?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this European Union data come from?
- The figures come from Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks, published as part of Trade (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Trade is the sum of 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.