Trade balance — all countries

Trade balance — Lower-middle-income countries

Trade balance in lower-middle-income countries in 2025 — -386,291,842,039 US$. Since 1981, the indicator has fallen by 816.8%.

2025 -386B US$ −10.19% vs 2024
World rank
Period maximum -19.25B US$1994
Period minimum -386B US$2025

Trend over time

1981–2025 · US$

Trade balance — Lower-middle-income countries, 1981–2025-400B-300B-200B-100B019811986199119962001200620112016202120251981: -42,132,829,195 US$1983: -37,866,119,459 US$1984: -28,308,840,769 US$1985: -30,999,305,660 US$1986: -35,461,972,520 US$1987: -21,928,503,658 US$1988: -32,959,922,694 US$1989: -34,468,214,201 US$1990: -42,176,289,569 US$1991: -39,923,413,091 US$1992: -38,997,858,945 US$1993: -23,570,125,313 US$1994: -19,252,198,130 US$1995: -30,668,737,826 US$1996: -36,511,268,579 US$1997: -43,989,040,738 US$1998: -49,614,076,753 US$1999: -35,411,747,362 US$2000: -32,817,247,056 US$2001: -40,323,769,601 US$2002: -32,327,769,412 US$2003: -39,448,448,926 US$2004: -50,303,669,585 US$2005: -50,101,743,131 US$2006: -54,321,490,403 US$2007: -102,893,967,377 US$2008: -161,786,780,520 US$2009: -176,173,664,713 US$2010: -143,605,612,787 US$2011: -173,566,664,932 US$2012: -251,439,049,800 US$2013: -188,989,025,939 US$2014: -213,253,085,780 US$2015: -239,002,357,894 US$2016: -223,828,150,611 US$2017: -279,677,485,240 US$2018: -312,590,432,471 US$2019: -287,293,511,075 US$2020: -189,416,275,118 US$2021: -307,349,795,230 US$2022: -372,406,119,733 US$2023: -294,742,731,637 US$2024: -350,563,035,512 US$2025: -386,291,842,039 US$
Change over the period: −344B (−816.84%)
Trade balance — Lower-middle-income countries, by year Lower-middle-income countries All countries CSV XLSX
Year US$ Change Change, %
2025 -386B −35.73B −10.19%
2024 -351B −55.82B −18.94%
2023 -295B +77.66B +20.85%
2022 -372B −65.06B −21.17%
2021 -307B −118B −62.26%
2020 -189B +97.88B +34.07%
2019 -287B +25.3B +8.09%
2018 -313B −32.91B −11.77%
2017 -280B −55.85B −24.95%
2016 -224B +15.17B +6.35%
2015 -239B −25.75B −12.07%
2014 -213B −24.26B −12.84%
2013 -189B +62.45B +24.84%
2012 -251B −77.87B −44.87%
2011 -174B −29.96B −20.86%
2010 -144B +32.57B +18.49%
2009 -176B −14.39B −8.89%
2008 -162B −58.89B −57.24%
2007 -103B −48.57B −89.42%
2006 -54.32B −4.22B −8.42%
2005 -50.1B +202M +0.4%
2004 -50.3B −10.86B −27.52%
2003 -39.45B −7.12B −22.03%
2002 -32.33B +8B +19.83%
2001 -40.32B −7.51B −22.87%
2000 -32.82B +2.59B +7.33%
1999 -35.41B +14.2B +28.63%
1998 -49.61B −5.63B −12.79%
1997 -43.99B −7.48B −20.48%
1996 -36.51B −5.84B −19.05%
1995 -30.67B −11.42B −59.3%
1994 -19.25B +4.32B +18.32%
1993 -23.57B +15.43B +39.56%
1992 -39B +926M +2.32%
1991 -39.92B +2.25B +5.34%
1990 -42.18B −7.71B −22.36%
1989 -34.47B −1.51B −4.58%
1988 -32.96B −11.03B −50.31%
1987 -21.93B +13.53B +38.16%
1986 -35.46B −4.46B −14.4%
1985 -31B −2.69B −9.5%
1984 -28.31B +9.56B +25.24%
1983 -37.87B
1981 -42.13B

About the indicator

The balance of foreign trade in goods and services: exports minus imports. This is the largest part of the current account but not the whole of it — investment income and remittances do not enter the trade balance, and for countries with large transfers the two indicators move in opposite directions. A surplus is not in itself a sign of a healthy economy: a country importing equipment for construction will run a deficit precisely because it is investing in growth.

Important: Goods and services together. For countries with large service exports — tourism, transport, software — the merchandise balance can be negative while the overall balance is positive.

Source: World Development Indicators (World Bank), license CC BY 4.0.