Merchandise trade in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Merchandise trade was 37.6% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Merchandise trade in United Kingdom, 1960–2025
Source: World Trade Organization (WTO). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for merchandise trade in United Kingdom is 37.6%, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 3.3% on the previous year and up 1.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise trade in United Kingdom peaked at 45.3% in 1977 and was at its lowest, 28.5%, in 1967.
United Kingdom ranks 153rd of 204 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Merchandise trade in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 32.3% | — |
| 1961 | 30.6% | -5.2% |
| 1962 | 29.9% | -2.2% |
| 1963 | 30.3% | +1.2% |
| 1964 | 30.6% | +0.8% |
| 1965 | 29.4% | -3.8% |
| 1966 | 29.0% | -1.5% |
| 1967 | 28.5% | -1.4% |
| 1968 | 31.9% | +11.9% |
| 1969 | 32.3% | +1.1% |
| 1970 | 31.6% | -2.1% |
| 1971 | 31.0% | -1.8% |
| 1972 | 30.4% | -2.1% |
| 1973 | 35.4% | +16.5% |
| 1974 | 44.8% | +26.6% |
| 1975 | 40.0% | -10.7% |
| 1976 | 43.5% | +8.6% |
| 1977 | 45.3% | +4.1% |
| 1978 | 42.8% | -5.5% |
| 1979 | 42.4% | -1.0% |
| 1980 | 39.9% | -5.7% |
| 1981 | 37.9% | -5.1% |
| 1982 | 38.2% | +0.7% |
| 1983 | 39.2% | +2.6% |
| 1984 | 43.0% | +9.9% |
| 1985 | 43.0% | -0.2% |
| 1986 | 38.8% | -9.7% |
| 1987 | 38.3% | -1.2% |
| 1988 | 36.8% | -4.1% |
| 1989 | 37.8% | +2.8% |
| 1990 | 37.3% | -1.1% |
| 1991 | 34.6% | -7.4% |
| 1992 | 34.9% | +1.0% |
| 1993 | 36.8% | +5.5% |
| 1994 | 38.5% | +4.6% |
| 1995 | 37.4% | -2.7% |
| 1996 | 38.3% | +2.3% |
| 1997 | 37.5% | -2.2% |
| 1998 | 35.8% | -4.3% |
| 1999 | 35.3% | -1.6% |
| 2000 | 37.3% | +5.7% |
| 2001 | 37.2% | -0.2% |
| 2002 | 35.8% | -3.6% |
| 2003 | 34.1% | -4.8% |
| 2004 | 33.7% | -1.1% |
| 2005 | 35.9% | +6.4% |
| 2006 | 39.3% | +9.6% |
| 2007 | 35.2% | -10.6% |
| 2008 | 38.9% | +10.7% |
| 2009 | 36.3% | -6.8% |
| 2010 | 40.6% | +11.8% |
| 2011 | 44.5% | +9.8% |
| 2012 | 43.4% | -2.4% |
| 2013 | 43.2% | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 39.1% | -9.6% |
| 2015 | 37.2% | -4.7% |
| 2016 | 38.7% | +4.0% |
| 2017 | 40.1% | +3.6% |
| 2018 | 40.0% | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 40.2% | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 38.1% | -5.2% |
| 2021 | 36.5% | -4.1% |
| 2022 | 43.1% | +17.8% |
| 2023 | 38.5% | -10.6% |
| 2024 | 36.4% | -5.5% |
| 2025 | 37.6% | +3.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 30.5% | 28.5% | 32.3% | 10 |
| 1970s | 38.7% | 30.4% | 45.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 39.3% | 36.8% | 43.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 36.6% | 34.6% | 38.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 36.4% | 33.7% | 39.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 40.7% | 37.2% | 44.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 38.4% | 36.4% | 43.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
- 150 French Polynesia 38.7% compare
- 151 Zimbabwe 38.7% compare
- 152 Samoa 38.1% compare
- 154 Saint Kitts and Nevis 37.5% compare
- 155 South Sudan 37.2% compare
- 156 Nepal 36.7% compare
More private sector data for United Kingdom
- Food imports 9.8% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 56.7% (2025)
- Merchandise imports 948.64 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 6.7% (2025)
- Manufactures exports 59.3% (2025)
- Merchandise exports 555.83 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 7,999 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1389 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 6.02 % change on previous year (2025)
- Merchandise imports (current US$), per capita 13,652 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise trade in United Kingdom?
- Merchandise trade in United Kingdom was 37.6% in 2025, according to World Trade Organization (WTO).
- What is the highest merchandise trade recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 45.3% in 1977.
- What is the lowest merchandise trade recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 28.5% in 1967.
- How does United Kingdom rank for merchandise trade?
- United Kingdom ranks 153rd out of 204 countries with data for 2025.
- Is merchandise trade rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom 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.