International trade

Data insights

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.

Ample growth in the value of merchandise trade in 2026

World merchandise exports, trillions of dollars

UN Trade and Development, UNCTADstat and World Trade Organization.

The dotted line indicates UNCTAD nowcasts (as of 3 November 2025). Nowcasts are constantly revised as new source data become available. For the weekly update of the nowcast and its methodology, see the Nowcasts page.

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In 2025, growth in world merchandise exports accelerated, increasing by 7.1%, and merchandise exports are nowcast to expand at even faster pace, by 18.8%, in 2026. Global exports amounted to $26.3 trillion in 2025 and will by far exceed $30 trillion in 2026.

The share of developing economies in global exports was 46%, 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 increased compared to the share of 1.0% in 2010.

Data updated on 8 Oct 2026

Trade growth led by developing Africa in 2025

Value of merchandise imports and exports, annual growth rate, percentage, 2025

UN Trade and Development, UNCTADstat and World Trade Organization.

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In 2025, developing Africa recorded the highest import growth (+10.7%) and export growth (+10.2%). Developing Americas performed below the average for developing economies but recorded higher export growth than developed economies. 

Developed economies’ merchandise exports increased by 5.9% and imports by 7.0%, compared with near-zero growth in the previous year.

Data updated on 8 Oct 2026

Regional differences in merchandise exports growth rates

Merchandise exports growth rate, percentage, 2025

UN Trade and Development, UNCTADstat and World Trade Organization.

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In 2025, merchandise exports of developing economies increased substantially, by 8.5%. This was driven in large part by China (+5.4%), Taiwan Province of China (+35.1%), Hong Kong, China (+17.8%), and Viet Nam (+16.8%). High growth rates were also recorded in several African least developed countries, such as the Central African Republic (+110.3%) and Burkina Faso (+97.0%).

Among the world’s largest traders, exports from China, the United States of America and Germany, rose by between 5 and 6%. By contrast, exports decreased in the Russian Federation (-2.7%) and Canada (-2.3%).

Overall, developed economies exported a higher value of merchandise than developing economies. Developed economies contributed $14.1 trillion and developing economies $12.1 trillion to total world exports

Data updated on 8 Oct 2026

Developing economies maintain a merchandise trade surplus

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 an increase in their trade surplus in 2025. Their trade balance reached $956 billion, an expansion of $119 billion compared with the previous year. By contrast, developed economies recorded a merchandise trade deficit of $1.3 trillion in 2025, around 20% higher than 2024.

Data updated on 8 Oct 2026

Metadata

The figures on international merchandise trade in this chapter measure the value of goods that 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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