Commerce international

Data insights

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International trade is the backbone of the global economy, facilitating the exchange of goods, services, and ideas across borders. It fosters economic growth, enhances productivity, and drives innovation. This collection of thematic insights delves into key aspects of international trade, offering a deeper understanding of its diverse components.

Regionally differentiated trends in merchandise exports

Merchandise exports growth rate, percentage, 2025

UN Trade and Development, UNCTADstat and World Trade Organization.

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In 2025, exports of the largest traders, China, the United States of America and Germany, rose at rates between 5 and 6%. Exports decreased in the Russian Federation (-3.3%) and Canada (-2.3%).

The developing economies' substantial increase of exports (+8.7%) was strongly driven by the larger representatives of that group, such as China (+5.5%), Taiwan Province of China (+35.1%), Hong Kong, China (+16.7%) and Viet Nam (+16.8%). High rates of growth were achieved in several African Least Developed Countries, especially the Central African Republic (+110.3%), Burkina Faso (+96.4%) and Burundi (89.6%).

All in all, the North exported higher value of merchandise than the South: developed economies contributed $14.2 trillion and developing economies $12.1 trillion to the total value of world exports.

Data updated on 19 Mar 2026

Ample growth in the value of global trade in 2025

World merchandise exports, trillions of dollars

UN Trade and Development, UNCTADstat and World Trade Organization.

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In 2025, the value of world merchandise exports increased by 7.2%. Global exports amounted to $26.3 trillion, $1.8 trillion higher than in the previous year.

The share of developing economies in global exports was 46% in 2025, with an increasing trend over the last 25 years, from 29% in 2000. The global exports share of Least Developed Countries reached just 1.2% in 2025. It has barely moved from the share of 1.0% seen in 2010.

Data updated on 19 Mar 2026

Trade growth in 2025 led by developing Asia and Oceania, and followed by developing Africa

Merchandise trade annual growth rate, percentage, 2025

UN Trade and Development, UNCTADstat and World Trade Organization.

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In 2025, developing economies led global trade growth. Exports from Asia and Oceania grew by 9.0% and imports by 7.8%. Developing Africa recorded exports growth of 9.7%, and developing Americas 6.0%. 

Developed economies’ merchandise trade exports increased by 5.9% and imports by 6.7%. 

Data updated on 19 Mar 2026

Developed economies continue with a negative trade balance

Merchandise trade balance, billions of dollars

UN Trade and Development, UNCTADstat and World Trade Organization.

Trade balances do not add up to zero at world level due to transport and insurance costs included in imports and cross-country differences in compilation methods.

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Developing economies recorded a modest increase in their trade surplus in 2025. Their trade balance reached $950 billion, an expansion of $170 billion compared with the previous year. By contrast, developed economies experienced a substantial merchandise trade deficit of $1.3 trillion in 2025.

Data updated on 19 Mar 2026

Metadonnées

The figures on international merchandise trade in this chapter measure the value of goods which add or subtract from the stock of material resources of an economy by entering or leaving its territory. This definition is slightly different from the definition of trade in goods in the balance-of-payments framework.

The value of exports is mostly recorded as the free-on-board (FOB) value, whereas the value of imports includes cost, insurance and freight (CIF).

The trade balance is calculated as the difference between the values of exports and imports.

Full metadata are available in our Data Centre for:

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