Australia's external balance on goods and services (current LCU) was 16.32 billion in 2025, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is up 165.62% from -24.88 billion in 2015.
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 16.32 billion | 2025 |
| Five years earlier | 67.16 billion | 2020 |
| Ten years earlier | -24.88 billion | 2015 |
| Highest | 122.18 billion | 2022 |
| Lowest | -40.07 billion | 2016 |
| Average since 2016 | 46.15 billion | 2016–2025 |
| First recorded | -177 million |
What the numbers say
In 2025, Australia's external balance on goods and services (current LCU) fell 39.89 billion on 2024 (from 56.22 billion to 16.32 billion).
Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +1.95 billion and a typical year strayed about 22.02 billion from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.9 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.
On record, the biggest yearly rise was 45.51 billion in 2017 and the biggest yearly fall was 56.08 billion in 2024. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.
From 2016 to 2025 the straight-line trend is upward, about 10.15 billion a year. A straight line explains 36% of the movement over 10 observed years.
Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.
How it compares
In 2025, Australia had the 44th highest value of the 137 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.
Closest to Australia in the 2025 ranking
- Brazil — 41st of 137: 44.58 billion
- Italy — 42nd of 137: 43.6 billion
- Luxembourg — 43rd of 137: 27.89 billion
- Libya — 45th of 137: 14.72 billion
- Austria — 46th of 137: 12.23 billion
- Azerbaijan — 47th of 137: 8.02 billion
What this measures
The balance of international trade in goods and services is the difference between the exports and imports of goods and services. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This series is expressed in local currency units.
All 66 values
| Year | External balance on goods and services (current LCU) |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 16,324,000,000 |
| 2024 | 56,218,000,000 |
| 2023 | 112,301,000,000 |
| 2022 | 122,183,000,000 |
| 2021 | 79,488,000,000 |
| 2020 | 67,159,000,000 |
| 2019 | 41,514,000,000 |
| 2018 | 960,000,000 |
| 2017 | 5,440,000,000 |
| 2016 | -40,065,000,000 |
External balance on goods and services (current LCU) in nearby economies
- American Samoa — -268 million (2022)
- Brunei Darussalam — 3.84 billion (2025)
- Cambodia — 2.48 trillion (2025)
- China — 5.87 trillion (2025)
- Fiji — -1.37 billion (2024)
- French Polynesia — -194.1 billion (2024)
- Guam — -3.88 billion (2022)
- Hong Kong SAR, China — 95.62 billion (2025)
- Indonesia — 548.34 trillion (2025)
More economic policy & debt data for Australia
- Portfolio equity, net inflows (BoP, current US$) — US$18.94 billion (2025)
- Total reserves, including gold (current US$) — US$72.63 billion (2025)
- Total reserves, excluding gold (current US$) — US$62.12 billion (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$) — US$416.34 billion (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current LCU) — 643.28 billion (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) — US$418.83 billion (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant LCU) — 622.17 billion (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (% of GDP) — 23.15% (2025)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is Australia's external balance on goods and services (current LCU)?
- 16.32 billion in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1960?
- It is up 9,323% from -177 million in 1960. The highest value was 122.18 billion in 2022 and the lowest -40.07 billion in 2016.
- How does Australia rank?
- 44th highest of 137 economies with data for 2025.
- Is the latest change in external balance on goods and services (current LCU) unusual for Australia?
- In 2025, Australia's external balance on goods and services (current LCU) fell 39.89 billion on 2024 (from 56.22 billion to 16.32 billion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +1.95 billion and a typical year strayed about 22.02 billion from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.9 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.
Source
World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator NE.RSB.GNFS.CN, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks; National Accounts data files, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); Staff estimates, World Bank (WB) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.
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