Adding a country’s exports and imports of goods and services and comparing the total with gross domestic product shows how large cross-border trade is relative to the domestic economy. Among 138 countries and areas with 2025 observations in the World Bank series, the median Trade as a Share of GDP is 79.68% and the unweighted mean is 91.47%. Korea is at 86.36%. This is neither an exports-only ratio nor a trade-balance measure.
Table of Contents
What Trade (% of GDP) actually measures
World Bank series NE.TRD.GNFS.ZS is the sum of exports and imports of goods and services expressed as a percentage of GDP. In formula form, it is (exports + imports) ÷ GDP × 100. It is often used as a broad measure of the scale of trade relative to an economy, but the number alone does not explain why trade is high or low.
A value of 80% means the combined value of goods-and-services exports and imports is roughly 80% of that year’s GDP. Values above 100% are possible because exports and imports are gross transaction flows while GDP measures domestic value added. The numerator and denominator therefore measure different concepts.
The 2025 median is 79.68%; 46 observations are at least 100%
Giving each of the 138 same-year observations equal weight, the median is 79.68% and the simple mean is 91.47%. The middle half lies between about 50.48% and 112.72%. The mean is above the median because very high observations such as Hong Kong SAR, Luxembourg and Singapore stretch the upper tail.
| 2025 trade as % of GDP | Countries/areas | Share of 138 |
|---|---|---|
| Below 40% | 20 | 14.5% |
| 40% to <60% | 26 | 18.8% |
| 60% to <80% | 25 | 18.1% |
| 80% to <100% | 21 | 15.2% |
| 100% to <150% | 30 | 21.7% |
| 150% to <200% | 10 | 7.2% |
| 200% or more | 6 | 4.3% |
The largest band is 100% to under 150%, with 30 observations. Another 26 are between 40% and 60%, and 25 are between 60% and 80%. In total, 46 observations are at least 100% of GDP. A high ratio shows that trade flows are large relative to GDP; it does not by itself indicate a trade surplus, competitiveness, or income level.
Hong Kong SAR, Luxembourg and Singapore exceed 300%
Hong Kong SAR is the highest 2025 observation at 396.65%, followed by Luxembourg at 349.89% and Singapore at 320.31%. Ireland is 239.96%, Malta 219.01%, and Djibouti 206.30%. Viet Nam and Cyprus are close to 190%.
| Country or area | Trade as % of GDP |
|---|---|
| Hong Kong SAR, China | 396.65% |
| Luxembourg | 349.89% |
| Singapore | 320.31% |
| Ireland | 239.96% |
| Malta | 219.01% |
| Djibouti | 206.30% |
| Viet Nam | 190.34% |
| Cyprus | 189.50% |
| Seychelles | 172.29% |
| Slovak Republic | 170.34% |
The upper tail contains very different economies, so the indicator does not support a single causal explanation. Re-exports, cross-border services, production networks, domestic market size and industry structure may matter in different cases, but identifying the cause requires country-specific trade composition and time-series evidence beyond this cross-section.
Low ratios are not automatic evidence of a closed economy
| Country or area | Trade as % of GDP |
|---|---|
| Sudan | 2.38% |
| Haiti | 15.89% |
| Venezuela, RB | 25.01% |
| Pakistan | 27.19% |
| Bangladesh | 27.95% |
| Turkmenistan | 28.17% |
| Argentina | 30.36% |
| Cameroon | 33.38% |
| Ethiopia | 33.46% |
| Russian Federation | 33.71% |
At the low end, Sudan is 2.38%, Haiti 15.89%, Venezuela 25.01%, Pakistan 27.19%, and Bangladesh 27.95%. Turkmenistan, Argentina, Cameroon, Ethiopia and the Russian Federation complete the bottom ten. A low ratio can coexist with very different market sizes, production structures and trade constraints, so the ranking should not be treated as a one-number quality score for openness.
Korea and major economies on the same 2025 basis
| Country | Trade as % of GDP |
|---|---|
| Korea, Rep. | 86.36% |
| China | 37.96% |
| Germany | 78.51% |
| France | 67.19% |
| United Kingdom | 62.46% |
| India | 46.27% |
| Indonesia | 43.39% |
| Brazil | 35.29% |
| Canada | 63.51% |
| Australia | 45.90% |
| Mexico | 79.92% |
| South Africa | 60.91% |
| Saudi Arabia | 57.92% |
| Russian Federation | 33.71% |
| Netherlands | 150.12% |
| Viet Nam | 190.34% |
Korea is at 86.36%, above the 2025 median of 79.68%. China is 37.96%, Germany 78.51%, France 67.19%, the United Kingdom 62.46%, India 46.27%, Indonesia 43.39%, Brazil 35.29%, Canada 63.51%, Australia 45.90%, and Mexico 79.92%. Viet Nam is much higher at 190.34% and the Netherlands at 150.12%.
The United States and Japan are not inserted into this 2025 comparison because their latest observations in the collected file are dated 2024. Keeping the reference year aligned avoids presenting different economic periods as if they were one same-year ranking.
The map shows large differences within the same regions
Europe contains several very high observations: Luxembourg is 349.89%, Ireland 239.96%, the Slovak Republic 170.34%, Belgium 152.92%, and the Netherlands 150.12%. Yet Germany is 78.51%, France 67.19%, the United Kingdom 62.46%, and Italy 62.52%, showing substantial variation inside the same broad region.
Asia is similarly mixed. Singapore is 320.31%, Viet Nam 190.34%, Thailand 138.41%, and Malaysia 136.40%, while Korea is 86.36%, China 37.96%, India 46.27%, and Indonesia 43.39%. Africa also spans a wide range, from Djibouti at 206.30% and Lesotho at 153.98% to Sudan at 2.38% and Ethiopia at 33.46%. Geographic clustering can point to comparisons worth investigating, but it does not establish the cause.
This is different from exports as a share of GDP and from the trade balance
Trade as a share of GDP uses exports + imports. Exports as a share of GDP uses exports only. The goods-and-services balance uses exports − imports relative to GDP. A country can therefore have a very high trade share and a balance near zero if exports and imports are both large and similar. A lower-trade economy can still have a positive balance if exports exceed imports.
Separating these formulas prevents a common misreading: a large trade share does not automatically mean a surplus, and a large export share does not tell you the size of imports. Trade share, export and import ratios, the goods-and-services balance, and the current account answer different questions about the external sector.
Why the analysis does not mix all 194 latest observations
The latest-value file contains 194 country and area rows, but only 138 are dated 2025. Another 34 are dated 2024 and the remaining 22 have latest observations from 1960 through 2023. The United States and Japan are dated 2024, while Nigeria’s retained latest observation is from 1960. Combining all of them into one current ranking would mix very different reference periods.
The map, mean, median, bands, and top and bottom rankings therefore use only the 138 observations dated 2025. Gray does not represent a measured 0%; it indicates no 2025 value in this set or no separate polygon at the map scale.
Data source and calculation method
The statistical source is World Bank World Development Indicators series Trade (% of GDP), code NE.TRD.GNFS.ZS. World Bank defines trade as the sum of exports and imports of goods and services and expresses the result as a percentage of GDP. The series is annual.
The mean, median, quartiles, band counts, and rankings in this article are calculated directly from the 138 observations dated 2025. The 91.47% mean is an equal-weight average across country and area rows; it is not a GDP-weighted global trade ratio.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Trade as a Share of GDP measure?
It is the sum of exports and imports of goods and services divided by GDP, expressed as a percentage. The World Bank series code is NE.TRD.GNFS.ZS.
Can Trade (% of GDP) exceed 100%?
Yes. Exports and imports are gross cross-border transaction flows while GDP measures domestic value added, so their combined value can be larger than GDP.
What is Korea’s 2025 Trade (% of GDP) value?
The 2025 World Bank observation for Korea is about 86.36%, above the median of 79.68% across the 138 same-year observations.
Is Trade (% of GDP) the same as the trade balance?
No. Trade (% of GDP) adds exports and imports, while the goods-and-services balance subtracts imports from exports. A high trade share does not necessarily mean a surplus.
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