Tuvalu: Export unit value index (2015 = 100)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2019, Tuvalu's export unit value index (2015 = 100) fell 0.41 on 2018 (from 178.31 to 177.9).

Across the 18 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2018), the average change was +4.35 and a typical year strayed about 5.66 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.8 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 16.78 in 2008 and the biggest yearly fall was 5.33 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 2010 to 2019 the straight-line trend is upward, about 2.63 a year. A straight line explains 78% 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.

A straight-line projection, tested first

Extending that straight line gives about 189.09 for 2022. We show this only because the same method, fitted on earlier years, predicted 2017 to 2019 better than "no change" would have: its average miss was 7.29, against 10.84 for assuming no change. Treat it as a continuation of the recent pattern, not a forecast of events: it cannot see a recession, a policy change or a revision to the data.

See how a linear trend forecast works and the guide on forecasting without fooling yourself.

How it compares

See how every economy compares in the full ranking.

What this measures

Export unit value indices come from UNCTAD's trade database. Unit value indices are based on data reported by countries that demonstrate consistency under UNCTAD quality controls, supplemented by UNCTAD’s estimates using the previous year’s trade values at the Standard International Trade Classification three-digit level as weights. To improve data coverage, especially for the latest periods, UNCTAD constructs a set of average prices indexes at the three-digit product classification of the Standard International Trade Classification revision 3 using UNCTAD’s Commodity Price Statistics, interna¬tional and national sources, and UNCTAD secretariat estimates. This indicator is an index series where 2015=100.

All 20 values

Export unit value index (2015 = 100) in nearby economies

• American Samoa — 222.6 (2025)
• Australia — 166 (2025)
• Brunei Darussalam — 150.4 (2025)
• Cambodia — 114.4 (2025)
• China — 95.7 (2025)
• Fiji — 127.3 (2025)
• French Polynesia — 95.7 (2025)
• Guam — 126.5 (2025)
• Hong Kong SAR, China — 137.9 (2025)
• Indonesia — 145.7 (2025)
• Japan

More private sector & trade data for Tuvalu

• Merchandise trade (% of GDP) — 47.08% (2025)
• Merchandise imports (current US$) — US$27 million (2025)
• Merchandise exports (current US$) — US$0 (2025)
• International tourism, number of arrivals — 3,600 (2019)
• Merchandise imports from high-income economies (% of total merchandise imports) — 92.75% (2023)
• Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside region (% of total merchandise imports) — 0.96% (2023)
• Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in East Asia & Pacific (% of total merchandise imports) — 6.29% (2023)
• Merchandise imports by the reporting economy, residual (% of total merchandise imports)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Tuvalu's export unit value index (2015 = 100)?

177.9 in 2019, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2000?

It is up 77.9% from 100 in 2000 (3.08% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 178.31 in 2018 and the lowest 98.53 in 2001.

Is the latest change in export unit value index (2015 = 100) unusual for Tuvalu?

In 2019, Tuvalu's export unit value index (2015 = 100) fell 0.41 on 2018 (from 178.31 to 177.9). Across the 18 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2018), the average change was +4.35 and a typical year strayed about 5.66 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.8 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator TX.UVI.MRCH.XD.WD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Handbook of Statistics and data files., UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), uri: http://unctadstat.unctad.org 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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