Qatar: Terms of trade adjustment (constant LCU)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2020, Qatar's terms of trade adjustment (constant LCU) fell 63.7 billion on 2019 (from -28.72 billion to -92.42 billion).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1988 to 2019), the average change was −613.32 million and a typical year strayed about 51.13 billion from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.2 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 105.2 billion in 2011 and the biggest yearly fall was 187.96 billion in 2015. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2011 to 2020 the straight-line trend is downward, about 31.43 billion a year. A straight line explains 67% 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.

What this measures

The terms of trade adjustment is equal to the capacity to import (current price value of exports of goods and services deflated by the import price index) less exports of goods and services in constant prices. This indicator is expressed in constant prices, meaning the series has been adjusted to account for price changes over time. The reference year for this adjustment varies by country. This series is expressed in local currency units.

All 40 values

Terms of trade adjustment (constant LCU) in nearby economies

• Algeria — 668.42 billion (2025)
• Bahrain — 538.68 million (2024)
• Djibouti — 60.9 billion (2025)
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — -242.03 billion (2025)
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — -9,327.9 trillion (2025)
• Iraq — -25.43 trillion (2024)
• Israel — 6.56 billion (2025)
• Kuwait — -4.52 billion (2024)
• Lebanon — -703.04 billion (2024)
• Libya — -30.15 billion (2025)

More economic policy & debt data for Qatar

• Total reserves, including gold (current US$) — US$55.85 billion (2025)
• Total reserves, excluding gold (current US$) — US$39.67 billion (2025)
• Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$) — US$3.03 billion (2025)
• Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP) — 1.41% (2025)
• GDP (current US$) — US$215.56 billion (2025)
• GDP (current LCU) — 784.64 billion (2025)
• GDP (constant 2015 US$) — US$183.49 billion (2025)
• GDP (constant LCU) — 736.64 billion (2025)
• GDP per capita (current US$) — US$72,525 (2025)
• GDP per capita (current LCU) — 263,991 (2025)

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Questions people ask

What is Qatar's terms of trade adjustment (constant LCU)?

-92.42 billion in 2020, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1980?

It is down 1,620% from 6.08 billion in 1980. The highest value was 181.72 billion in 2013 and the lowest -102.31 billion in 2016.

Is the latest change in terms of trade adjustment (constant LCU) unusual for Qatar?

In 2020, Qatar's terms of trade adjustment (constant LCU) fell 63.7 billion on 2019 (from -28.72 billion to -92.42 billion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1988 to 2019), the average change was −613.32 million and a typical year strayed about 51.13 billion from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.2 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

Where does this data come from?

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator NY.TTF.GNFS.KN, 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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