Germany: Trade balance, percent of GDP
* indicates monthly or quarterly data series
| Germany |
Trade balance as percent of GDP |
|---|---|
| Latest value | 4.16 |
| Year | 2023 |
| Measure | percent |
| Data availability | 1970 - 2023 |
| Average | 1.63 |
| Min - Max | -4.61 - 7.60 |
| Source | The World Bank |
The latest value from 2023 is 4.16 percent, an increase from 1.97 percent in 2022. In comparison, the world average is -3.03 percent, based on data from 137 countries. Historically, the average for Germany from 1970 to 2023 is 1.63 percent. The minimum value, -4.61 percent, was reached in 1980 while the maximum of 7.6 percent was recorded in 2015.
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* indicates monthly or quarterly data series
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The trade balance for Germany and other countries is calculated as the difference between the exports and imports of goods and services, as percent of GDP. A positive number means trade surplus and a negative number means trade deficit.
Definition: External balance on goods and services (formerly resource balance) equals exports of goods and services minus imports of goods and services (previously nonfactor services).
Selected articles from our guide:
What factors determine the exchange rates
International lending and sovereign debt
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| Related indicators | Latest | Reference | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terms of trade | 98.83 | 2021 | percent |
| Trade openness | 82.80 | 2023 | percent |
| Financial openness | 2.299 | 2021 | index points |
| Exports, percent of GDP | 43.40 | 2023 | percent |
| Exports, billion dollars | 1,964.26 | 2023 | billion U.S. dollars |
| Growth of exports | -2.16 | 2023 | percent |
| Imports, percent of GDP | 42.97 | 2023 | percent |
| Imports, billion dollars | 1,782.98 | 2023 | billion U.S. dollars |
| Foreign Direct Investment, percent of GDP | 0.37 | 2023 | percent |
| Foreign Direct Investment, billion dollars | 19.52 | 2023 | billion U.S. dollars |
| Portfolio investment inflows, equities | -16,226.62 | 2023 | million dollars (current) |
| Current account, percent of GDP | 5.90 | 2023 | percent |
| Current account, in dollars | 268.67 | 2023 | billion U.S. dollars |
| Current Account, quarterly | 4.26 | 12/2024 | percent |
| Trade balance, percent of GDP | 4.16 | 2023 | percent |
| Trade balance, in dollars | 179.88 | 2023 | billion U.S. dollars |
| Reserves | 322.70 | 2023 | billion U.S. dollars |
| Remittances, percent of GDP | 0.46 | 2023 | percent |
| Remittances | 20,430.80 | 2023 | million U.S. dollars |
| Net errors and omissions | 29,834.41 | 2023 | million USD |
| Foreign exchange reserves | 402.67 | 3/2025 | billion |