Iran: Trade balance, percent of GDP

* indicates monthly or quarterly data series
 Iran

Trade balance as percent of GDP

 Latest value 1.73
 Year 2023
 Measure percent
 Data availability 1960 - 2023
 Average 0.22
 Min - Max -16.55 - 23.34
 Source The World Bank
The latest value from 2023 is 1.73 percent, a decline from 2.03 percent in 2022. In comparison, the world average is -3.03 percent, based on data from 137 countries. Historically, the average for Iran from 1960 to 2023 is 0.22 percent. The minimum value, -16.55 percent, was reached in 1991 while the maximum of 23.34 percent was recorded in 1974. See the global rankings for that indicator or use the country comparator to compare trends over time.
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* indicates monthly or quarterly data series


Recent data
Iran - Trade balance, percent of GDP - Recent values chart

Historical series
Iran - Trade balance, percent of GDP - historical chart - 1960-2023




The trade balance for Iran 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 138.43 2021 percent
 Trade openness 55.54 2023 percent
 Financial openness -1.931 2021 index points
 Exports, percent of GDP 28.64 2023 percent
 Exports, billion dollars 114.99 2023 billion U.S. dollars
 Growth of exports 15.40 2023 percent
 Imports, percent of GDP 26.91 2023 percent
 Imports, billion dollars 108.03 2023 billion U.S. dollars
 Foreign Direct Investment, percent of GDP 0.35 2023 percent
 Foreign Direct Investment, billion dollars 1.50 2022 billion U.S. dollars
 Portfolio investment inflows, equities 0.00 2000 million dollars (current)
 Current account, percent of GDP 2.76 2023 percent
 Current account, in dollars 12.48 2000 billion U.S. dollars
 Trade balance, percent of GDP 1.73 2023 percent
 Trade balance, in dollars 12.22 2000 billion U.S. dollars
 Reserves 7.69 1982 billion U.S. dollars
 Remittances, percent of GDP 0.54 2004 percent
 Remittances 1,032.00 2004 million U.S. dollars
 Net errors and omissions -1,355.00 2000 million USD
 External debt 2.41 2022 percent
 Short-term external debt 25.08 2022 percent
 Short-term debt to reserves 62.06 1982 percent
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