United States Trade Balance
External balance on goods and services NE.RSB.GNFS.CD
United States's trade balance was $-981.7B in 2025, ranked 179th globally. This represents a 7.9% decrease from 2024. Data from World Bank, covering 1970–2025.
Overview
United States's trade balance stood at $-981.7B in 2025, a decline of +$72.1B from 2024. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach $-981.7B by 2025. United States ranked 179th globally.
The United States’ trade balance has swung from a modest surplus of 3,949,000,000.00 in 1970 to an all‑time trough of –981,654,300,000.00 in 2025, the deepest deficit among the 179 economies tracked by the World Bank. The peak surplus of 15,976,000,000.00 occurred in 1975, reflecting the post‑oil‑crisis export boom, but successive decades saw widening deficits as imports outpaced exports, culminating in the 2025 shortfall that places the United States at rank 179 globally. By comparison, peer economies such as India (–122,250,090,024.49), Japan (–82,153,493,263.67) and the United Kingdom (–60,688,071,871.24) record far smaller imbalances, underscoring the scale of the U.S. gap. The persistent deficit is driven by high consumer demand for foreign goods and a relatively modest growth in export‑oriented sectors; unless policy shifts stimulate domestic production or renegotiate trade terms, the trajectory suggests the United States will remain entrenched in a large negative trade balance.
Data & projection
| Year | Trade Balance | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027* trend | $-1.08T | - | - |
| 2026* trend | $-1.03T | - | - |
| 2025* trend | $-981.7B | - | - |
| 2025 | $-981.7B | −$72.1B | #179 |
| 2024 | $-909.6B | −$112.3B | #1 |
| 2023 | $-797.3B | +$161.6B | #1 |
| 2022 | $-958.9B | −$98.9B | #1 |
| 2021 | $-860.0B | −$233.8B | #1 |
| 2020 | $-626.2B | −$48.9B | #1 |
| 2019 | $-577.3B | +$15.8B | #1 |
| 2018 | $-593.1B | −$49.7B | #1 |
| 2017 | $-543.3B | −$40.1B | #1 |
| 2016 | $-503.3B | +$21.0B | #1 |
| 2015 | $-524.3B | −$15.4B | #1 |
| 2014 | $-508.9B | −$30.4B | #1 |
| 2013 | $-478.5B | +$73.2B | #1 |
| 2012 | $-551.6B | +$28.0B | #1 |
| 2011 | $-579.6B | −$47.3B | #1 |
Analysis
United States's trade balance was $-981.7B in 2025, a decline of −$72.1B from 2024. Based on trends, estimated $-981.7B by 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions
United States's trade balance was $-981.7B in 2025. Ranked 179th globally. This represents a 7.9% decrease from the previous year.
United States's trade balance peaked at $16.0B in 1975.
The lowest trade balance in United States was $-981.7B in 2025.
United States ranks 179th globally in trade balance as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is NE.RSB.GNFS.CD. Data sourced from World Bank.
United States's trade balance is projected to reach $-981.7B by 2025 based on trend extrapolation.
The trade balance of United States in 2025 was $-981.7B. This ranks 179th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_united-states_trade-balance,
title = {United States Trade Balance},
url = {https://historysaid.com/united-states/trade-balance/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}