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Trade openness, % of GDP

The UK ranks 28th of 28 on Trade openness, % of GDP (2025)

The UK ranks 28th of 28 on Trade openness, % of GDP in 2025: 62.5, unit % of GDP (exports plus imports of goods and services), against an EU27 median of 128.0. Source: World Bank Indicators (WDI and WGI), NE.TRD.GNFS.ZS, snapshot of 6 November 2026.

Exports plus imports of goods and services as a share of GDP.

Caveat. Small open economies score high mechanically. Luxembourg, Malta, Cyprus and Ireland are flagged as small or distorted; a high share reflects size and trade structure, not a policy outcome. Figures for this measure are affected by multinational companies' accounting, which is especially large in Ireland's case.

The UK

Trade openness, % of GDP

62.5% of GDP (exports plus imports of goods and services)(2025)

28th of 28Moved down 1 place from 2016 to 2025.
EU27 median
128.0 % of GDP (exports plus imports of goods and services)
UK minus EU27 median
−65.6 % of GDP (exports plus imports of goods and services)

League table

Values in % of GDP (exports plus imports of goods and services). Countries ranked by value, 1 = top of the table, 28 with a value.

Trade openness, % of GDP, 2025: league table of countries
1Luxembourg349.92025
2Ireland240.02025
3Malta219.02025
4Cyprus189.52025
5Slovakia170.32025
6Estonia155.82025
7Belgium152.92025
8Slovenia151.92025
9Netherlands150.12025
10Lithuania142.12025
11Hungary140.82025
12Latvia129.72025
13Denmark129.22025
14Czechia128.02025
15Austria107.02025
16Sweden104.32025
17Bulgaria102.52025
18Croatia101.02025
19Poland97.02025
20Portugal86.42025
21Greece83.52025
22Finland83.42025
23Germany78.52025
24Romania76.22025
25Spain69.52025
26France67.22025
27Italy62.52025
28United KingdomUK62.52025

Trend, 2000 to 2025

Trade openness, % of GDP, 2000 to 2025Line chart, 2000 to 2025: the UK (heavy ink line), the EU27 aggregate (dashed dark line), Germany, France, Italy and Spain (solid lines), and reference countries (faint lines). Dotted segments are IMF projections and are not ranked. Shaded bands and markers show events.% of GDP (exports plus imports of goods and services)50100150200020052010201520202025123Switzerland147EU2790Norway79Germany79Spain69France67Canada64Italy63United Kingdom62Australia46Japan45United States25Trade openness, % of GDP, 2000 to 2025Line chart, 2000 to 2025: the UK (heavy ink line), the EU27 aggregate (dashed dark line), Germany, France, Italy and Spain (solid lines), and reference countries (faint lines). Dotted segments are IMF projections and are not ranked. Shaded bands and markers show events.% of GDP (exports plus imports of goods and services)50100150200020102020123SwitzerlandEU27NorwayGermanySpainFranceCanadaItalyUnited KingdomAustraliaJapanUnited States
  • Heavy ink line: United Kingdom
  • France
  • Germany
  • Italy
  • Spain
  • Dashed dark line: EU27 aggregate
  • Thin grey lines, reference countries (not the big four): Australia, Canada, Japan, Norway, Switzerland, United States
  • Shaded: 2008–09 financial crisis
  • Shaded: 2020–21 Covid-19 pandemic
  • Shaded: 2022–23 energy price shock
  • Marker 1: EU referendum (23 June 2016)
  • Marker 2: UK leaves the EU (31 January 2020)
  • Marker 3: Transition period ends; Trade and Cooperation Agreement in force (1 January 2021)
Trends show what happened, not why; Covid, energy prices and policy changes overlap the same years. Dotted lines are projections and are not ranked.

UK rank over time

Rank 1 is the top of the table; the line is drawn with rank 1 at the top. Each year is ranked on that year's values.

UK rank, 2000 to 2025: 26th to 28th24th25th26th27th28th200020052010201520202025June 201628thUK rank, 2000 to 2025: 26th to 28th24th25th26th27th28th200020102020June 201628th

2000: 26th · 2025: 28th

Sources and method

Exports plus imports of goods and services as a share of GDP.

Source: World Bank Indicators (WDI and WGI) · series NE.TRD.GNFS.ZS· vintage 2026-10-08 · fetched 2026-11-06

Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators / Worldwide Governance Indicators (CC BY 4.0); accessed 2026-11-06.

Licence: CC BY 4.0 (World Bank open data default); WGI and some datasets carry their own terms in the Data Catalog metadata. Reuse with credit allowed, including derived figures.