The balance on goods and services is exports of goods and services minus imports of goods and services. World Bank series NE.RSB.GNFS.ZS expresses that difference as a percentage of GDP. A positive value means exports exceed imports for goods and services; a negative value means imports exceed exports. The latest-non-missing table contains 194 country and area rows, but their reference years span 1960–2025. For a cleaner cross-country snapshot, the rankings and distribution below use only the 138 observations dated 2025.
Across that 2025 set, the median is -1.8% of GDP and the simple unweighted mean is -4.3%. 58 observations are positive and 80 are negative. Korea is +5.2%. This is not the full current-account balance: it covers the goods-and-services component and does not add primary income or secondary income.
Table of Contents
What the goods-and-services balance measures
The World Bank defines the external balance on goods and services as exports of goods and services minus imports of goods and services. Services can include items such as transport, travel, financial, communications, and business services in addition to merchandise trade. Dividing the balance by GDP puts economies of very different size onto a comparable scale.
A reading of +5% means the export-import difference for goods and services is equivalent to roughly 5% of GDP; -5% means the deficit is about 5% of GDP. It does not mean that the government earned or lost 5% of GDP, and it is not a corporate profit margin. It is a national-accounts ratio describing one part of an economy’s transactions with the rest of the world.
The 2025 median is -1.8%, with 58 positive and 80 negative observations
Giving each of the 138 2025 observations equal weight, the median is -1.8% and the mean is -4.3%. The middle half of observations falls between about -11.7% and 3.9%. The mean is lower than the median because a small group of very large negative values, including Somalia and Lesotho, stretches the lower tail.
| 2025 balance as % of GDP | Countries/areas | Share of 138 |
|---|---|---|
| -30% or less | 9 | 6.5% |
| -30% to < -15% | 13 | 9.4% |
| -15% to < -5% | 35 | 25.4% |
| -5% to < 0% | 23 | 16.7% |
| 0% to < 5% | 31 | 22.5% |
| 5% to < 15% | 19 | 13.8% |
| 15% to < 30% | 4 | 2.9% |
| 30% or more | 4 | 2.9% |
Values near zero are common, while both tails are wide. Small percentage-point differences should not be turned into a sweeping competitiveness ranking. The map is more useful for finding large surpluses, large deficits, and geographic contrasts that can then be investigated with trade composition and longer time series.
Macao, Ireland, Singapore and Luxembourg have the highest 2025 values
| Country or area | Goods-and-services balance as % of GDP |
|---|---|
| Macao SAR, China | 45.4% |
| Ireland | 40.2% |
| Singapore | 35.4% |
| Luxembourg | 31.2% |
| Gabon | 26.1% |
| Brunei Darussalam | 19.5% |
| Malta | 19.2% |
| Equatorial Guinea | 18.1% |
| Djibouti | 14.7% |
| Chad | 12.7% |
The highest 2025 observations are Macao SAR at 45.4%, Ireland at 40.2%, Singapore at 35.4%, and Luxembourg at 31.2%. Gabon follows at 26.1%, with Brunei Darussalam, Malta, and Equatorial Guinea around 18–20%. The top group contains very different economies, including international services and financial centers as well as resource exporters. The indicator itself shows the size of the balance; it does not prove a single common cause.
The most negative 2025 values include Somalia and Lesotho
| Country or area | Goods-and-services balance as % of GDP |
|---|---|
| Somalia, Fed. Rep. | -69.6% |
| Lesotho | -54.9% |
| Micronesia, Fed. Sts. | -48.8% |
| Marshall Islands | -43.8% |
| Naoero | -41.9% |
| Kyrgyz Republic | -38.8% |
| Gambia, The | -36.7% |
| West Bank and Gaza | -32.3% |
| Kosovo | -30.3% |
| Moldova | -29.2% |
Somalia is the lowest retained 2025 observation at -69.6%, followed by Lesotho at -54.9%, the Federated States of Micronesia at -48.8%, the Marshall Islands at -43.8%, and Nauru at -41.9%. The Kyrgyz Republic is -38.8% and The Gambia -36.7%. A large negative value means imports of goods and services exceeded exports by a large amount relative to GDP in that year; it is not, by itself, a diagnosis of crisis or living standards.
Korea is +5.2%; China +4.2% in the 2025 same-year set
| Country or area | Year | Goods-and-services balance as % of GDP |
|---|---|---|
| Ireland | 2025 | 40.2% |
| Singapore | 2025 | 35.4% |
| Luxembourg | 2025 | 31.2% |
| Netherlands | 2025 | 11.2% |
| Korea, Rep. | 2025 | 5.2% |
| China | 2025 | 4.2% |
| Germany | 2025 | 2.4% |
| Italy | 2025 | 1.9% |
| Brazil | 2025 | 0.3% |
| Indonesia | 2025 | 2.3% |
| India | 2025 | -1.7% |
| United Kingdom | 2025 | -1.3% |
| France | 2025 | -0.4% |
| Mexico | 2025 | -0.6% |
Korea is +5.2% in 2025 and China +4.2%. Germany is +2.4%, Italy +1.9%, Brazil +0.3%, and Indonesia +2.3%. India is -1.7%, the United Kingdom -1.3%, France -0.4%, and Mexico -0.6%. These differences show why broad labels such as “advanced economy,” “Asian economy,” or “large emerging market” do not determine the sign or size of the balance.
The map shows regional clusters, but nearby countries can differ sharply
Europe is mixed. Ireland (40.2%), Luxembourg (31.2%), the Netherlands (11.2%), Norway (11.7%), and Denmark (11.0%) are strongly positive, while France (-0.4%), the United Kingdom (-1.3%), Belgium (-2.0%), Greece (-4.5%), and Romania (-5.3%) are negative. The region therefore cannot be summarized with one uniform trade-balance pattern.
Asia is similarly varied. Singapore is a major outlier at 35.4%, while Korea is 5.2%, China 4.2%, Malaysia 5.5%, Viet Nam 6.1%, Thailand 3.9%, and Indonesia 2.3%. The Philippines is -13.7%, India -1.7%, and Nepal -24.9%. In Africa, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Angola, and Chad are positive, while Somalia, Lesotho, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Egypt are negative. Geographic proximity is useful for spotting contrasts, but the dataset alone cannot establish why they occur.
This is not the same as the current-account balance
The goods-and-services balance is an important component of the current account, but it is not the entire current account. The current account also includes primary income, such as some cross-border interest, dividends and labor income, plus secondary income and transfers. An economy can therefore have a goods-and-services surplus and a different current-account result after those other flows are included.
It is also broader than a merchandise trade balance because services are included. For economies where tourism, transport, finance, digital services, or other cross-border services are important, a goods-only trade statistic can tell a materially different story from the goods-and-services balance.
Why the article does not mix all 194 latest observations into one ranking
The latest-observation table spans 1960–2025. Exactly 138 rows are dated 2025 and 34 are dated 2024, with a smaller set from earlier years. The United States and Japan, for example, are represented by 2024 in this file, so they are not inserted into the 2025 ranking as if the years matched. A latest-available map can maximize coverage, but a same-year ranking should align the reference period.
Very old latest observations require even more caution. They can remain useful as historical values, but they should not be carried forward as though they describe the current external-trade structure. The year-distribution graphic makes that difference visible rather than hiding it behind the word “latest.”
Data source and calculation method
The statistical source is the World Bank World Development Indicators series NE.RSB.GNFS.ZS, External balance on goods and services (% of GDP). World Bank metadata defines the balance as exports of goods and services minus imports of goods and services, expressed relative to GDP. The source combines country official statistics, national statistical organizations and central banks, national accounts files, OECD sources, and World Bank estimates.
All main rankings, the median, the mean, quartiles and band counts are calculated from the 138 observations explicitly dated 2025. The mean is unweighted across country and area rows; it is not weighted by GDP. ISO-3 codes are joined to a low-resolution world boundary layer for the map. Gray does not mean a measured zero: it can indicate that no 2025 observation is retained or that a small statistical area has no separate polygon at this scale.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a positive goods-and-services balance mean?
It means exports of goods and services exceeded imports. A +5% reading in NE.RSB.GNFS.ZS means the export-import difference is equivalent to about 5% of GDP.
What is Korea’s 2025 goods-and-services balance as a share of GDP?
The 2025 World Bank observation used here is about +5.2% of GDP for Korea. China is about +4.2% and Germany +2.4% in the same-year set.
Is this the same as the current-account balance?
No. The current account also includes primary income and secondary income. NE.RSB.GNFS.ZS covers the balance on goods and services only.
Why use 138 observations from 2025 instead of all 194 latest values?
The 194 latest non-empty observations span 1960–2025. Restricting the main ranking to the 138 rows dated 2025 avoids mixing different reference years in one cross-country snapshot.
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- Where Is External Debt Service High Relative to Export Earnings? Latest Country Comparison
- Global GDP Growth Map – Country Patterns in 2025
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