Merchandise trade in South Asia
South Asia: Merchandise trade was 30.0% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Merchandise trade in South Asia, 1960–2025
Source: World Trade Organization (WTO). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2025, merchandise trade in South Asia stood at 30.0%.
That represents a change of down 1.3% on the previous year and down 6.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise trade in South Asia peaked at 43.4% in 2008 and was at its lowest, 7.5%, in 1971.
That places South Asia 43rd out of 45 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Merchandise trade in South Asia, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 11.5% | — |
| 1961 | 10.8% | -6.6% |
| 1962 | 10.2% | -4.9% |
| 1963 | 9.8% | -4.7% |
| 1964 | 9.5% | -2.8% |
| 1965 | 8.7% | -8.0% |
| 1966 | 13.0% | +49.1% |
| 1967 | 9.9% | -24.2% |
| 1968 | 9.2% | -6.4% |
| 1969 | 8.1% | -12.8% |
| 1970 | 7.6% | -5.3% |
| 1971 | 7.5% | -1.6% |
| 1972 | 8.0% | +6.0% |
| 1973 | 8.7% | +9.5% |
| 1974 | 10.2% | +17.4% |
| 1975 | 11.4% | +11.5% |
| 1976 | 11.9% | +4.2% |
| 1977 | 12.0% | +1.0% |
| 1978 | 12.1% | +0.9% |
| 1979 | 13.3% | +9.6% |
| 1980 | 14.4% | +9.0% |
| 1981 | 14.0% | -3.5% |
| 1982 | 13.6% | -2.4% |
| 1983 | 12.2% | -10.5% |
| 1984 | 13.6% | +11.2% |
| 1985 | 12.4% | -8.8% |
| 1986 | 11.5% | -7.3% |
| 1987 | 11.5% | +0.8% |
| 1988 | 12.5% | +7.9% |
| 1989 | 13.7% | +10.4% |
| 1990 | 14.4% | +5.0% |
| 1991 | 15.8% | +9.4% |
| 1992 | 16.9% | +7.2% |
| 1993 | 18.2% | +7.2% |
| 1994 | 18.4% | +1.1% |
| 1995 | 20.8% | +13.4% |
| 1996 | 20.6% | -1.4% |
| 1997 | 21.0% | +2.1% |
| 1998 | 20.7% | -1.2% |
| 1999 | 20.6% | -0.5% |
| 2000 | 22.8% | +10.3% |
| 2001 | 21.8% | -4.2% |
| 2002 | 22.6% | +3.6% |
| 2003 | 23.6% | +4.6% |
| 2004 | 26.7% | +13.0% |
| 2005 | 30.9% | +15.7% |
| 2006 | 33.3% | +7.9% |
| 2007 | 32.5% | -2.5% |
| 2008 | 43.4% | +33.6% |
| 2009 | 32.2% | -25.8% |
| 2010 | 35.0% | +8.7% |
| 2011 | 42.5% | +21.3% |
| 2012 | 43.0% | +1.2% |
| 2013 | 42.0% | -2.4% |
| 2014 | 38.7% | -7.6% |
| 2015 | 32.2% | -16.9% |
| 2016 | 28.0% | -13.2% |
| 2017 | 28.8% | +3.0% |
| 2018 | 31.4% | +9.0% |
| 2019 | 28.9% | -7.9% |
| 2020 | 24.5% | -15.3% |
| 2021 | 30.9% | +26.3% |
| 2022 | 35.6% | +15.3% |
| 2023 | 31.0% | -12.9% |
| 2024 | 30.4% | -2.0% |
| 2025 | 30.0% | -1.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 10.1% | 8.1% | 13.0% | 10 |
| 1970s | 10.3% | 7.5% | 13.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 12.9% | 11.5% | 14.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 18.7% | 14.4% | 21.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 29.0% | 21.8% | 43.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 35.0% | 28.0% | 43.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 30.4% | 24.5% | 35.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Asia
More private sector data for South Asia
- Food imports 5.6% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 47.1% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 864.53 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 11.8% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 67.0% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 510.58 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 301.72 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1115 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 1.04 % change on previous year (2025)
- Merchandise imports (current US$), per capita 510.88 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise trade in South Asia?
- Merchandise trade in South Asia was 30.0% in 2025, according to World Trade Organization (WTO).
- What is the highest merchandise trade recorded in South Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 43.4% in 2008.
- What is the lowest merchandise trade recorded in South Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.5% in 1971.
- How does South Asia rank for merchandise trade?
- South Asia ranks 43rd out of 45 groups with data for 2025.
- Is merchandise trade rising or falling in South Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Asia 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
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
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.