Merchandise trade in Caribbean Small States
Caribbean Small States: Merchandise trade was 70.0% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Merchandise trade in Caribbean Small States, 1960–2025
Source: World Trade Organization (WTO). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for merchandise trade in Caribbean Small States is 70.0%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 6.6% on the previous year and up 21.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise trade in Caribbean Small States peaked at 256.8% in 1976 and was at its lowest, 50.3%, in 2020.
That places Caribbean Small States 4th out of 45 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Merchandise trade in Caribbean Small States, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 92.8% | — |
| 1961 | 96.8% | +4.3% |
| 1962 | 91.2% | -5.8% |
| 1963 | 92.4% | +1.3% |
| 1964 | 96.9% | +4.9% |
| 1965 | 96.4% | -0.5% |
| 1966 | 97.6% | +1.2% |
| 1967 | 92.1% | -5.6% |
| 1968 | 93.2% | +1.1% |
| 1969 | 98.0% | +5.2% |
| 1970 | 103.2% | +5.3% |
| 1971 | 119.7% | +16.0% |
| 1972 | 117.4% | -1.9% |
| 1973 | 125.4% | +6.8% |
| 1974 | 218.1% | +73.9% |
| 1975 | 223.5% | +2.5% |
| 1976 | 256.8% | +14.9% |
| 1977 | 219.5% | -14.5% |
| 1978 | 186.1% | -15.2% |
| 1979 | 176.2% | -5.3% |
| 1980 | 213.0% | +20.8% |
| 1981 | 199.2% | -6.5% |
| 1982 | 156.4% | -21.5% |
| 1983 | 125.6% | -19.7% |
| 1984 | 107.1% | -14.7% |
| 1985 | 90.4% | -15.6% |
| 1986 | 100.6% | +11.3% |
| 1987 | 93.4% | -7.1% |
| 1988 | 81.9% | -12.3% |
| 1989 | 97.5% | +19.1% |
| 1990 | 62.8% | -35.6% |
| 1991 | 65.1% | +3.6% |
| 1992 | 57.9% | -11.0% |
| 1993 | 62.1% | +7.2% |
| 1994 | 57.5% | -7.5% |
| 1995 | 66.8% | +16.3% |
| 1996 | 67.4% | +0.9% |
| 1997 | 65.4% | -2.9% |
| 1998 | 58.6% | -10.5% |
| 1999 | 56.5% | -3.5% |
| 2000 | 62.7% | +10.9% |
| 2001 | 59.7% | -4.8% |
| 2002 | 55.8% | -6.5% |
| 2003 | 58.6% | +4.9% |
| 2004 | 62.7% | +7.1% |
| 2005 | 71.0% | +13.1% |
| 2006 | 75.9% | +6.9% |
| 2007 | 70.7% | -6.9% |
| 2008 | 77.0% | +8.9% |
| 2009 | 61.6% | -20.0% |
| 2010 | 61.6% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 73.9% | +20.0% |
| 2012 | 68.4% | -7.5% |
| 2013 | 80.4% | +17.5% |
| 2014 | 68.4% | -14.9% |
| 2015 | 57.9% | -15.4% |
| 2016 | 53.2% | -8.1% |
| 2017 | 53.6% | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 59.1% | +10.3% |
| 2019 | 53.6% | -9.3% |
| 2020 | 50.3% | -6.1% |
| 2021 | 59.1% | +17.4% |
| 2022 | 65.7% | +11.1% |
| 2023 | 67.7% | +3.1% |
| 2024 | 65.7% | -3.0% |
| 2025 | 70.0% | +6.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 94.7% | 91.2% | 98.0% | 10 |
| 1970s | 174.6% | 103.2% | 256.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 126.5% | 81.9% | 213.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 62.0% | 56.5% | 67.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 65.6% | 55.8% | 77.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 63.0% | 53.2% | 80.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 63.1% | 50.3% | 70.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Caribbean Small States
More private sector data for Caribbean Small States
- Food imports 17.2% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 63.2% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 31.17 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 13.7% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 45.4% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 30.03 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 6,590 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.3156 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate -3.4 % change on previous year (2025)
- Merchandise imports (current US$), per capita 6,841 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise trade in Caribbean Small States?
- Merchandise trade in Caribbean Small States was 70.0% in 2025, according to World Trade Organization (WTO).
- What is the highest merchandise trade recorded in Caribbean Small States?
- The highest recorded value was 256.8% in 1976.
- What is the lowest merchandise trade recorded in Caribbean Small States?
- The lowest recorded value was 50.3% in 2020.
- How does Caribbean Small States rank for merchandise trade?
- Caribbean Small States ranks 4th out of 45 groups with data for 2025.
- Is merchandise trade rising or falling in Caribbean Small States?
- Over the last ten years it is up 21.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Caribbean Small States data come from?
- The figures come from World Trade Organization (WTO), published as part of Merchandise trade (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
General merchandise trade includes goods whose economic ownership is changed between a resident and a non-resident and that are not included in the following specific categories: goods under merchanting, non-monetary gold, and parts of travel, construction, and government goods and services n.i.e. It is the total of merchandise exports plus merchandise imports. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.