United Arab Emirates's external balance on goods and services (current LCU) was 281.13 billion in 2023, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is down 45.22% from 513.18 billion in 2013 (5.84% a year on average, compounded).
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 281.13 billion | 2023 |
| Five years earlier | 435.86 billion | 2018 |
| Ten years earlier | 513.18 billion | 2013 |
| Highest | 513.18 billion | 2013 |
| Lowest | 23.94 billion | 2002 |
| Average since 2014 | 338.8 billion | 2014–2023 |
| First recorded | 32.08 billion |
What the numbers say
In 2023, United Arab Emirates' external balance on goods and services (current LCU) fell 18.5% on 2022 (from 344.87 billion to 281.13 billion).
Across the 21 yearly changes before that (2002 to 2022), the average change was +26.6% and a typical year strayed about 74.9% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.6 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 303% in 2010 and the biggest yearly fall was 49.1% in 2009. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.
From 2014 to 2023 the straight-line trend is downward, about 14.28 billion a year. A straight line explains 31% 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.
Closest to United Arab Emirates in the 2023 ranking
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 23 values
| Year | External balance on goods and services (current LCU) |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 281,130,000,000 |
| 2022 | 344,868,000,000 |
| 2021 | 285,085,000,000 |
| 2020 | 194,824,000,000 |
| 2019 | 363,060,000,000 |
| 2018 | 435,860,000,000 |
| 2017 | 355,500,000,000 |
| 2016 | 330,200,000,000 |
| 2015 | 328,800,000,000 |
| 2014 | 468,674,000,000 |
External balance on goods and services (current LCU) in nearby economies
- Afghanistan — -660.71 billion (2024)
- Algeria — -2.01 trillion (2025)
- Bahrain — 3.11 billion (2024)
- Djibouti — 120.74 billion (2025)
- Egypt, Arab Rep. — -2.12 trillion (2025)
- Iran, Islamic Rep. — -23,522.9 trillion (2025)
- Iraq — 8.68 trillion (2024)
- Israel — 44.86 billion (2025)
- Kuwait — 8.65 billion (2024)
- Lebanon
More economic policy & debt data for United Arab Emirates
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$) — US$48.24 billion (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP) — 8.26% (2024)
- GDP (current US$) — US$552.33 billion (2024)
- GDP (current LCU) — 2.03 trillion (2024)
- GDP (constant 2015 US$) — US$457.09 billion (2024)
- GDP (constant LCU) — 1.78 trillion (2024)
- GDP per capita (current US$) — US$50,274 (2024)
- GDP per capita (current LCU) — 184,629 (2024)
- GDP per capita (constant 2015 US$) — US$41,605 (2024)
- GDP per capita (constant LCU)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is United Arab Emirates's external balance on goods and services (current LCU)?
- 281.13 billion in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 2001?
- It is up 776.48% from 32.08 billion in 2001 (10.37% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 513.18 billion in 2013 and the lowest 23.94 billion in 2002.
- Is the latest change in external balance on goods and services (current LCU) unusual for United Arab Emirates?
- In 2023, United Arab Emirates' external balance on goods and services (current LCU) fell 18.5% on 2022 (from 344.87 billion to 281.13 billion). Across the 21 yearly changes before that (2002 to 2022), the average change was +26.6% and a typical year strayed about 74.9% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.6 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 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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