Merchandise trade in United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates: Merchandise trade was 208.2% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Merchandise trade in United Arab Emirates, 1970–2024
Source: World Trade Organization (WTO). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2024, merchandise trade in United Arab Emirates stood at 208.2%. That is the highest value across all 55 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.5% on the previous year and up 42.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise trade in United Arab Emirates peaked at 208.2% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 50.3%, in 1986.
United Arab Emirates ranks 4th of 204 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 55 years of available data.
Merchandise trade in United Arab Emirates, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 115.2% | — |
| 1971 | 125.5% | +9.0% |
| 1972 | 115.8% | -7.7% |
| 1973 | 62.1% | -46.4% |
| 1974 | 69.7% | +12.2% |
| 1975 | 67.6% | -3.0% |
| 1976 | 67.0% | -0.9% |
| 1977 | 59.1% | -11.8% |
| 1978 | 61.0% | +3.2% |
| 1979 | 66.0% | +8.3% |
| 1980 | 70.5% | +6.7% |
| 1981 | 64.9% | -7.9% |
| 1982 | 60.5% | -6.8% |
| 1983 | 58.9% | -2.8% |
| 1984 | 56.1% | -4.8% |
| 1985 | 57.5% | +2.5% |
| 1986 | 50.3% | -12.5% |
| 1987 | 53.9% | +7.2% |
| 1988 | 56.7% | +5.2% |
| 1989 | 66.6% | +17.5% |
| 1990 | 68.5% | +2.9% |
| 1991 | 74.1% | +8.1% |
| 1992 | 77.7% | +5.0% |
| 1993 | 83.8% | +7.8% |
| 1994 | 82.9% | -1.0% |
| 1995 | 79.3% | -4.4% |
| 1996 | 92.3% | +16.4% |
| 1997 | 94.5% | +2.4% |
| 1998 | 87.8% | -7.1% |
| 1999 | 80.8% | -8.0% |
| 2000 | 81.3% | +0.7% |
| 2001 | 83.0% | +2.0% |
| 2002 | 86.3% | +4.1% |
| 2003 | 95.9% | +11.0% |
| 2004 | 110.3% | +15.1% |
| 2005 | 111.8% | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 110.6% | -1.1% |
| 2007 | 127.5% | +15.3% |
| 2008 | 139.3% | +9.3% |
| 2009 | 142.7% | +2.5% |
| 2010 | 130.2% | -8.8% |
| 2011 | 144.2% | +10.8% |
| 2012 | 156.9% | +8.8% |
| 2013 | 157.4% | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 145.7% | -7.4% |
| 2015 | 147.6% | +1.3% |
| 2016 | 147.1% | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 141.6% | -3.7% |
| 2018 | 143.6% | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 156.2% | +8.8% |
| 2020 | 163.0% | +4.4% |
| 2021 | 182.9% | +12.2% |
| 2022 | 183.0% | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 199.1% | +8.8% |
| 2024 | 208.2% | +4.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 80.9% | 59.1% | 125.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 59.6% | 50.3% | 70.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 82.2% | 68.5% | 94.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 108.9% | 81.3% | 142.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 147.1% | 130.2% | 157.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 187.3% | 163.0% | 208.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near United Arab Emirates
More private sector data for United Arab Emirates
- Food imports 5.0% (2023)
- Manufactures imports 54.9% (2023)
- Merchandise imports 618.88 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 2.9% (2023)
- Manufactures exports 8.8% (2023)
- Merchandise exports 706.67 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 61,380 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 1.1 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 16.69 % change on previous year (2025)
- Merchandise imports (current US$), per capita 53,754 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise trade in United Arab Emirates?
- Merchandise trade in United Arab Emirates was 208.2% in 2024, according to World Trade Organization (WTO).
- What is the highest merchandise trade recorded in United Arab Emirates?
- The highest recorded value was 208.2% in 2024.
- What is the lowest merchandise trade recorded in United Arab Emirates?
- The lowest recorded value was 50.3% in 1986.
- How does United Arab Emirates rank for merchandise trade?
- United Arab Emirates ranks 4th out of 204 countries with data for 2024.
- Is merchandise trade rising or falling in United Arab Emirates?
- Over the last ten years it is up 42.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Arab Emirates 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 — 55 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.