Timor-Leste Trade Balance
External balance on goods and services NE.RSB.GNFS.CD
Timor-Leste's trade balance was $-1.5B in 2025, ranked 111th globally. This represents a 6.3% decrease from 2024. Data from World Bank, covering 2000–2025.
Overview
Timor-Leste's trade balance stood at $-1.5B in 2025, a decline of +$87.0M from 2024. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach $-1.5B by 2025. Timor-Leste ranked 111th globally.
Timor‑Leste’s trade balance has swung dramatically over the 26‑year record, moving from a deficit of ‑566,576,334.24 in 2000 to a surplus of 984,758,751.41 in 2021 before plunging to a trough of ‑1,473,747,667.93 in 2025, the most negative figure among 211 economies and ranking 111th globally. The 2025 deficit, nearly three times the 2000 shortfall, reflects a sharp contraction in export earnings amid rising import costs, a pattern echoed in other small, development‑constrained economies such as Madagascar, whose latest deficit stands at ‑1,448,530,149.68. The 2021 surplus represented an anomalous peak driven by temporary commodity price spikes and limited export diversification, while the subsequent reversal underscores the vulnerability of Timor‑Leste’s external sector to external shocks and limited value‑added production. Continued investment in processing capacity, regional trade integration, and fiscal incentives for export‑oriented firms will be crucial to reverse the current downward trajectory and restore a more sustainable trade balance.
Data & projection
| Year | Trade Balance | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027* trend | $-2.3B | - | - |
| 2026* trend | $-1.9B | - | - |
| 2025* trend | $-1.5B | - | - |
| 2025 | $-1.5B | −$87.0M | #111 |
| 2024 | $-1.4B | −$482.9M | #59 |
| 2023 | $-903.8M | −$1.3B | #71 |
| 2022 | $436.5M | −$548.3M | #122 |
| 2021 | $984.8M | +$1.2B | #117 |
| 2020 | $-246.9M | +$326.0M | #96 |
| 2019 | $-572.9M | +$344.5M | #77 |
| 2018 | $-917.4M | −$64.4M | #77 |
| 2017 | $-852.9M | +$32.9M | #73 |
| 2016 | $-885.8M | −$27.4M | #74 |
| 2015 | $-858.4M | +$206.9M | #88 |
| 2014 | $-1.1B | −$109.7M | #74 |
| 2013 | $-955.6M | +$370.4M | #81 |
| 2012 | $-1.3B | +$8.0M | #75 |
| 2011 | $-1.3B | −$299.7M | #71 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Timor-Leste matched the Export Boom Cycle pattern in 2021. Historically, 71% of countries showing this pattern (546 out of 768) saw trade balance improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Timor-Leste's trade balance was $-1.5B in 2025. Ranked 111th globally. This represents a 6.3% decrease from the previous year.
Timor-Leste's trade balance peaked at $984.8M in 2021.
The lowest trade balance in Timor-Leste was $-1.5B in 2025.
Timor-Leste ranks 111th globally in trade balance as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is NE.RSB.GNFS.CD. Data sourced from World Bank.
Timor-Leste's trade balance is projected to reach $-1.5B by 2025 based on trend extrapolation.
The trade balance of Timor-Leste in 2025 was $-1.5B. This ranks 111th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_timor-leste_trade-balance,
title = {Timor-Leste Trade Balance},
url = {https://historysaid.com/timor-leste/trade-balance/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}