EU countries by trade as a share of GDP
Luxembourg had the highest trade as a share of GDP of 27 EU countries in 2018, at 361.9%. Italy had the lowest, at 59.3%. The median was 128.2%. Source: the World Bank.
All EU countries, 2018
Full ranking
| Rank | EU countries | 2018 (%) | Change on 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luxembourg | 361.9 | +8.1 pts |
| 2 | Malta | 228.1 | +15.1 pts |
| 3 | Ireland | 222.5 | -10.9 pts |
| 4 | Slovakia | 188.7 | +2.1 pts |
| 5 | Belgium | 168.3 | +1.4 pts |
| 6 | Netherlands | 163.6 | +3.9 pts |
| 7 | Hungary | 162.7 | -2.3 pts |
| 8 | Slovenia | 162.6 | +3.9 pts |
| 9 | Cyprus | 147.6 | -0.4 pts |
| 10 | Lithuania | 147.2 | +2.3 pts |
| 11 | Czechia | 145.1 | -2.6 pts |
| 12 | Estonia | 143.5 | -1.2 pts |
| 13 | Bulgaria | 129.2 | -0.5 pts |
| 14 | Latvia | 128.2 | -0.5 pts |
| 15 | Denmark | 108.8 | +4.6 pts |
| 16 | Austria | 108.4 | +2.8 pts |
| 17 | Poland | 102.4 | +1.9 pts |
| 18 | Croatia | 99.1 | +1.8 pts |
| 19 | Sweden | 90.4 | +4.3 pts |
| 20 | Romania | 87.1 | -0.1 pts |
| 21 | Portugal | 86.7 | +1.9 pts |
| 22 | Greece | 79.2 | +8.4 pts |
| 23 | Finland | 79.1 | +3.2 pts |
| 24 | Germany | 79.1 | +1.7 pts |
| 25 | Spain | 67 | +0.8 pts |
| 26 | France | 66.8 | +1.4 pts |
| 27 | Italy | 59.3 | +1.7 pts |
Other periods
About this ranking
Sum of exports and imports of goods and services, as a percentage of GDP. World Bank series.
Can exceed 100%, because exports and imports are both counted against GDP, which is only value added. Small open economies with large re-export or transit trade reach several hundred percent.
Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the EU countries are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.
How to cite
World Bank, World Development Indicators. Trade, % of GDP (NE.TRD.GNFS.ZS). https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NE.TRD.GNFS.ZS. Retrieved 2026-10-11.Use this data in your AI agent
Invokely serves this figure to AI assistants through MCP and to code through a REST API, with the source and citation attached. Ask your assistant:
Rank EU countries by trade as a share of GDP using official data, and cite the source.
rank_places {"indicator":"trade_share_gdp","level":"country","within":"European Union (27)","limit":10}
GET https://invokely.ai/api/v1/rank?indicator=trade_share_gdp&level=country&within=European%20Union%20(27)&limit=10Questions
Which EU country has the highest trade as a share of GDP?
Luxembourg, with 361.9% in 2018, according to the World Bank.
Which EU country has the lowest trade as a share of GDP?
Italy, with 59.3% in 2018.
Where does this ranking come from?
Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: World Bank, Trade, % of GDP (NE.TRD.GNFS.ZS). Retrieved 2026-10-11.