Most Trade-Dependent Economies 2026

Executive summary

This index ranks 48 of the world's largest economies by exports (% of GDP), using World Bank Open Data for cross-country comparability, and goes beyond a single snapshot: it shows the nominal figure, a ten-year history, a regional breakdown and the biggest movers. Singapore leads at 177.9% (2025); United States is lowest among those ranked at 11.0%. Sweden ranks 14th of 48 at 53.2% (2025). As reference points, the EU stands at 49.6%, the OECD at 28.3% and the world at 29.5%. Every figure carries its World Bank series and reference year, and the complete dataset is free to download as CSV and JSON under a CC BY 4.0 licence.

Key findings

Overview

Trade openness — exports of goods and services as a share of GDP — measures how integrated an economy is with the rest of the world. This index ranks countries by export share, a structural feature that shapes how exposed each is to global demand and to shifts in trade policy.

Small, advanced economies dominate the top: trade hubs like Singapore and Ireland and the export-driven economies of Northern Europe run export shares far above the large continental economies, whose vast domestic markets make them structurally less trade-dependent.

What drives the ranking

Export share is driven by economy size (small economies must trade more), specialisation, and position in global value chains. Entrepôt hubs (Singapore, the Netherlands) show very high shares because goods pass through them; this re-export effect inflates the raw ratio.

High openness brings productivity gains and access to larger markets, but also greater exposure to global downturns and trade disputes.

How it has changed over time

The chart tracks exports (% of GDP) for Singapore (the current leader) against Sweden over the past decade; the table below shows the top economies year by year.

By region

Median exports (% of GDP) by world region among the ranked economies. Regional medians reveal patterns the country ranking alone can hide.

Biggest movers

The largest changes in exports (% of GDP) over the available window — where the action has been.

Full ranking — 48 economies

Complete ranking by exports (% of GDP), most recent World Bank data, with world region. Region aggregates (EU, OECD, World) appear in the At-a-glance box as reference points.

Scoreboard (machine-readable data)

Every headline indicator with its value, period, source and confidence. Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0.

↓ CSV · ↓ JSON

Methodology & verification

Economies are ranked by exports (% of GDP) using the World Bank Open Data API, which harmonises national statistics for cross-country comparison. Each value is the most recent year available for that economy, shown alongside the figure; the trend table uses each economy's reported history. Economies with no reported value are omitted rather than estimated. Region aggregates (EU, euro area, OECD, World) are reference points, not ranked. Exports as a share of GDP can exceed 100% for entrepôt economies because gross exports include re-exports and imported content; it measures gross trade exposure, not domestic value added. Confidence: High (official multilateral source).

Data dictionary

Frequently asked questions

Glossary

Exports (% Of Gdp)

Exports of goods & services (% of GDP) — as reported by the World Bank. ↗

World Bank Open Data

A free, authoritative database of harmonised economic indicators for every country. ↗

Purchasing-power parity (PPP)

A conversion that equalises the price of a comparable basket of goods across countries, so output and incomes can be compared in real terms rather than at market exchange rates. ↗

Nominal (current US$)

A value converted at prevailing market exchange rates and not adjusted for differences in price levels. ↗

GNI per capita

Gross national income per person — like GDP per capita but including net income earned abroad; useful where cross-border corporate flows are large. ↗

Reference year

The year a figure applies to; it can differ across countries because national statistics are published on different schedules. ↗

Region aggregate

A World Bank grouping (e.g. European Union, OECD, World) whose value is a weighted regional total or average, shown here for reference rather than ranked. ↗

Sources

• World Bank Open Data — Exports of goods & services (% of GDP)
• World Bank Open Data (home)
• IMF World Economic Outlook (comparison)
• OECD Data
• Affärslivet — Sweden Economic Indicators

Related reports & data

• Largest Economies in the World 2026
• Richest Countries in the World 2026
• Fastest-Growing Economies 2026
• Inflation Rate by Country 2026
• Affärslivet Business Climate Index
• Sweden Economic Indicators