Merchandise trade in European Union
European Union: Merchandise trade was 70.9% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Merchandise trade in European Union, 1960–2025
Source: World Trade Organization (WTO). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for merchandise trade in European Union is 70.9%, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 1.8% on the previous year and up 1.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise trade in European Union peaked at 86.2% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 26.2%, in 1962.
European Union ranks 2nd of 47 groups on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Merchandise trade in European Union, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 27.4% | — |
| 1961 | 26.8% | -2.3% |
| 1962 | 26.2% | -2.2% |
| 1963 | 26.4% | +0.8% |
| 1964 | 26.8% | +1.6% |
| 1965 | 27.3% | +1.7% |
| 1966 | 27.5% | +0.9% |
| 1967 | 27.0% | -1.7% |
| 1968 | 28.5% | +5.3% |
| 1969 | 30.3% | +6.3% |
| 1970 | 31.6% | +4.3% |
| 1971 | 31.4% | -0.6% |
| 1972 | 31.5% | +0.4% |
| 1973 | 33.8% | +7.2% |
| 1974 | 40.3% | +19.4% |
| 1975 | 36.6% | -9.2% |
| 1976 | 39.3% | +7.4% |
| 1977 | 39.2% | -0.2% |
| 1978 | 38.0% | -3.2% |
| 1979 | 40.2% | +5.9% |
| 1980 | 41.8% | +4.0% |
| 1981 | 43.7% | +4.6% |
| 1982 | 43.4% | -0.8% |
| 1983 | 43.1% | -0.8% |
| 1984 | 45.6% | +5.9% |
| 1985 | 46.3% | +1.6% |
| 1986 | 40.3% | -13.0% |
| 1987 | 39.6% | -1.9% |
| 1988 | 39.9% | +0.9% |
| 1989 | 42.0% | +5.2% |
| 1990 | 40.4% | -3.6% |
| 1991 | 39.3% | -2.9% |
| 1992 | 37.9% | -3.4% |
| 1993 | 37.7% | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 40.7% | +8.0% |
| 1995 | 43.2% | +6.2% |
| 1996 | 43.7% | +1.2% |
| 1997 | 47.1% | +7.6% |
| 1998 | 48.6% | +3.2% |
| 1999 | 52.0% | +7.0% |
| 2000 | 59.7% | +14.9% |
| 2001 | 58.7% | -1.6% |
| 2002 | 56.9% | -3.2% |
| 2003 | 56.2% | -1.2% |
| 2004 | 58.8% | +4.7% |
| 2005 | 61.4% | +4.4% |
| 2006 | 65.2% | +6.2% |
| 2007 | 66.7% | +2.2% |
| 2008 | 67.7% | +1.5% |
| 2009 | 57.0% | -15.9% |
| 2010 | 64.9% | +14.0% |
| 2011 | 70.2% | +8.1% |
| 2012 | 71.3% | +1.6% |
| 2013 | 70.1% | -1.7% |
| 2014 | 69.8% | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 69.8% | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 68.6% | -1.8% |
| 2017 | 71.5% | +4.2% |
| 2018 | 73.0% | +2.1% |
| 2019 | 71.9% | -1.5% |
| 2020 | 68.6% | -4.7% |
| 2021 | 75.1% | +9.5% |
| 2022 | 86.2% | +14.8% |
| 2023 | 76.6% | -11.2% |
| 2024 | 72.2% | -5.7% |
| 2025 | 70.9% | -1.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 27.4% | 26.2% | 30.3% | 10 |
| 1970s | 36.2% | 31.4% | 40.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 42.6% | 39.6% | 46.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 43.1% | 37.7% | 52.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 60.8% | 56.2% | 67.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 70.1% | 64.9% | 73.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 74.9% | 68.6% | 86.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near European Union
- 1 Hong Kong, China 371.0% compare
- 2 Djibouti 267.1% compare
- 3 Slovenia 237.4% compare
- 4 United Arab Emirates 208.2% compare
- 5 Viet Nam 180.0% compare
More private sector data for European Union
- Food imports 10.7% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 70.7% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 7.41 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 11.0% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 76.6% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 7.66 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 16,988 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.3608 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 6.82 % change on previous year (2025)
- Merchandise imports (current US$), per capita 16,418 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise trade in European Union?
- Merchandise trade in European Union was 70.9% in 2025, according to World Trade Organization (WTO).
- What is the highest merchandise trade recorded in European Union?
- The highest recorded value was 86.2% in 2022.
- What is the lowest merchandise trade recorded in European Union?
- The lowest recorded value was 26.2% in 1962.
- How does European Union rank for merchandise trade?
- European Union ranks 2nd out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is merchandise trade rising or falling in European Union?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this European Union 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.