Iran recorded a trade deficit of 934 USD Million in the fourth quarter of 2024. This dataset provides - Iran Balance of Trade - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

This statistic shows Iran's main import partners in 2023, sorted by their share in total imports. In 2023, Iran's main import partner was the China with a share of 34 percent in all imports. Iran's struggling economy Iran’s main import partners in descending order of importance include the United Arab Emirates, China, Algeria, India, South Korea and Turkey. Together the United Arab Emirates and China compose over 50 percent of all imports. No European countries or the United States are close trade partners with Iran for neither imports nor exports. Iran has been isolated from the west with sanctions due to concerns over the country's role in the manufacture of weapons of mass destruction for decades. In 2011, further sanctions on Iran from the United States and Europe were agreed upon, which negatively affected Iran’s economy. This also had an effect on the value of totalimports into the country which also dropped slightly around the same period. This is likely due to the fact that Iran’s GDP per capita also reduced significantly thereafter, limiting the country’s capacity to import goods. Compared to the GDP per capita of Saudi Arabia, Iran’s is significantly lower. Aside from the Saudi Arabian oil trade, one difference could be attributed to the fact that Saudi Arabia, in contrast to Iran, has developed strong international ties and trades freely with Europe and the United States, whereas Iran remains isolated for the time being.

Iran's total Imports in 2022 were valued at US$58.73 Billion, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. Iran's main import partners were: the United Arab Emirates, China and Turkey. The top three import commodities were: Cereals; Machinery, nuclear reactors, boilers and Electrical, electronic equipment. Total Exports were valued at US$80.90 Billion. In 2022, Iran had a trade surplus of US$22.17 Billion.

Iran: Trade openness: exports plus imports as percent of GDP: The latest value from 2023 is 52.18 percent, an increase from 51.6 percent in 2022. In comparison, the world average is 94.91 percent, based on data from 153 countries. Historically, the average for Iran from 1960 to 2023 is 41.74 percent. The minimum value, 14.14 percent, was reached in 1986 while the maximum of 76.12 percent was recorded in 1975.

Key information about Iran's Trade Balance

• Iran's Trade Balance recorded a surplus of 31.3 USD bn in Dec 2023, compared with a surplus of 39.3 USD bn in the previous year
• Iran's Trade Balance data is updated yearly, available from Dec 1948 to Dec 2023, with an averaged value of 775.5 USD mn
• The data reached an all-time high of 69.7 USD bn in Dec 2011 and a record low of -9.3 USD bn in Dec 1991

CEIC calculates annual Trade Balance from annual Total Exports and annual Total Imports. The International Monetary Fund provides Total Exports and Total Imports in USD.

Further information about Iran's Trade Balance

• In the latest reports, Iran's Total Exports reached 97.4 USD bn in Dec 2023, a decrease of 13.8% YoY (year-on-year)
• Total Imports recorded 60.3 USD bn in Mar 2023, an increase of 13.8% YoY (year-on-year)

Iran IR: Net Barter Terms of Trade Index data was reported at 198.968 2000=100 in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 314.103 2000=100 for 2015. Iran IR: Net Barter Terms of Trade Index data is updated yearly, averaging 200.505 2000=100 from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2016, with 17 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 395.065 2000=100 in 2014 and a record low of 100.000 2000=100 in 2000. Iran IR: Net Barter Terms of Trade Index data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Iran – Table IR.World Bank.WDI: Trade Index. Net barter terms of trade index is calculated as the percentage ratio of the export unit value indexes to the import unit value indexes, measured relative to the base year 2000. Unit value indexes are based on data reported by countries that demonstrate consistency under UNCTAD quality controls, supplemented by UNCTAD's estimates using the previous year’s trade values at the Standard International Trade Classification three-digit level as weights. To improve data coverage, especially for the latest periods, UNCTAD constructs a set of average prices indexes at the three-digit product classification of the Standard International Trade Classification revision 3 using UNCTAD’s Commodity Price Statistics, international and national sources, and UNCTAD secretariat estimates and calculates unit value indexes at the country level using the current year's trade values as weights.; ; United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, Handbook of Statistics and data files, and International Monetary Fund, International Financial Statistics.; ;

This statistic shows Iran's trade balance of goods from 2014 to 2024 in billion U.S. dollars. In 2024, Iran's trade balance amounted to approximately ***** billion U.S. dollars.

Iran IR: Goods Trade: % of GDP data was reported at 31.626 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 26.970 % for 2016. Iran IR: Goods Trade: % of GDP data is updated yearly, averaging 31.463 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 56 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 61.978 % in 1993 and a record low of 8.461 % in 1986. Iran IR: Goods Trade: % of GDP data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Iran – Table IR.World Bank.WDI: Trade Statistics. Merchandise trade as a share of GDP is the sum of merchandise exports and imports divided by the value of GDP, all in current U.S. dollars.; ; World Trade Organization, and World Bank GDP estimates.; Weighted average;

Key information about Iran Total Trade of Goods and Services: % of Nominal GDP

• Iran Total Trade of Goods & Services: % of Nominal GDP recorded 51.598 % in Dec 2022, compared with 44.374 % in the previous year.
• Iran Total Trade of Goods & Services: % of Nominal GDP data is updated yearly, available from Dec 1959 to Dec 2022, with an averaged value of 41.238 %.
• The data reached an all-time high of 76.116 % in Dec 1975 and a record low of 14.145 % in Dec 1986.

CEIC calculates annual Total Trade of Goods and Services as % of Nominal GDP from annual Total Trade of Goods and Services and annual Nominal GDP. CEIC shifts year-end for annual Total Trade of Goods and Services as % of Nominal GDP. The Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran provides Total Trade of Goods and Services in local currency and Nominal GDP in local currency. Total Trade of Goods and Services and Nominal GDP are reported in annual frequency, ending in March of each year.

Iran Export Value Index data was reported at 101.950 2015=100 in 2021. This records an increase from the previous number of 66.761 2015=100 for 2020. Iran Export Value Index data is updated yearly, averaging 38.368 2015=100 from Dec 1980 (Median) to 2021, with 42 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 187.834 2015=100 in 2011 and a record low of 10.346 2015=100 in 1986. Iran Export Value Index data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Iran – Table IR.World Bank.WDI: Trade Index. Export values are the current value of exports (f.o.b.) converted to U.S. dollars and expressed as a percentage of the average for the base period (2015). UNCTAD's export value indexes are reported for most economies.;United Nations Conference on Trade and Development;;

United States Exports to Iran was US$90.85 Million during 2024, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. United States Exports to Iran - data, historical chart and statistics - was last updated on August of 2025.

In 2021, the value of Russian merchandise exports to Iran amounted to over three billion U.S. dollars, marking a significant increase from the previous year. Furthermore, Russian imports of goods from Iran grew by more than 170 million U.S. dollars between 2020 and 2021.

Iran: Trade balance as percent of GDP: The latest value from 2024 is -3.92 percent, a decline from -3.78 percent in 2023. In comparison, the world average is -3.07 percent, based on data from 134 countries. Historically, the average for Iran from 1960 to 2024 is 0.07 percent. The minimum value, -16.55 percent, was reached in 1991 while the maximum of 23.34 percent was recorded in 1974.

Imports in Iran increased to 18316 USD Million in the fourth quarter of 2024 from 18247 USD Million in the third quarter of 2024. This dataset provides - Iran Imports - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Key information about Iran Total Exports

• Iran Total Exports recorded 97.4 USD bn in Dec 2023, compared with 97.9 USD bn in the previous year
• Iran Total Exports data is updated yearly, available from Dec 1948 to Dec 2023, with an averaged value of 13.1 USD bn
• The data reached an all-time high of 131.5 USD bn in Dec 2011 and a record low of 165.0 USD mn in Dec 1952

The International Monetary Fund provides annual Total Exports in USD.


Further information about Iran Total Exports

• In the latest reports, Iran Total Exports dropped 0.5 % YoY in Dec 2023
• Total Imports recorded 60.3 USD bn in Mar 2023, which registered an increase of 13.8 % year on year
• Iran Trade Balance recorded a surplus of 31.3 USD bn in Dec 2023

Iran IR: Exports: fob: USD data was reported at 63.000 USD bn in 2015. This records a decrease from the previous number of 88.800 USD bn for 2014. Iran IR: Exports: fob: USD data is updated yearly, averaging 9.962 USD bn from Dec 1950 (Median) to 2015, with 66 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 130.500 USD bn in 2011 and a record low of 165.178 USD mn in 1952. Iran IR: Exports: fob: USD data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by International Monetary Fund. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Iran – Table IR.IMF.IFS: Trade Statistics: Annual.

Iran IR: Import Value Index data was reported at 287.811 2000=100 in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 300.763 2000=100 for 2015. Iran IR: Import Value Index data is updated yearly, averaging 120.537 2000=100 from Dec 1980 (Median) to 2016, with 37 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 470.600 2000=100 in 2010 and a record low of 69.606 2000=100 in 1986. Iran IR: Import Value Index data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Iran – Table IR.World Bank.WDI: Trade Index. Import value indexes are the current value of imports (c.i.f.) converted to U.S. dollars and expressed as a percentage of the average for the base period (2000). UNCTAD's import value indexes are reported for most economies. For selected economies for which UNCTAD does not publish data, the import value indexes are derived from import volume indexes (line 73) and corresponding unit value indexes of imports (line 75) in the IMF's International Financial Statistics.; ; United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, Handbook of Statistics and data files, and International Monetary Fund, International Financial Statistics.; ;

Top Import Trading Partners of Iran with import value and Year on Year growth comparison

Graph and download economic data for Openness at constant prices for Iran (OPENRPIRA156NUPN) from 1955 to 2010 about Iran, imports, exports, trade, and real.

Trade in services (% of GDP) of Iran went up by 4.03% from 3.2 % in 1999 to 3.4 % in 2000. Since the 40.38% drop in 1995, trade in services (% of GDP) jumped by 10.37% in 2000. Trade in services is the sum of service exports and imports divided by the value of GDP, all in current U.S. dollars.