Countries by Export unit value index (2015 = 100)
Lao PDR ranks first with an export unit value index of 202.7 (2015=100), meaning its export prices have more than doubled relative to the 2015 baseline. At the other end, St. Vincent and the Grenadines posts the lowest value at 65.8, nearly 137 points below the leader. The 208% spread across 207 countries reflects substantial divergence in how export prices have moved since 2015.
Ranking 2024
Analysis
The export unit value index measures how the average price of a country's merchandise exports has changed relative to a 2015 baseline of 100. A value above 100 indicates export prices are higher than in 2015; a value below 100 indicates they are lower. Export unit value indices come from UNCTAD's trade database. Unit value indices 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, UNCT [source note ends]. The indicator code is TX.UVI.MRCH.XD.WD, sourced from the World Bank World Development Indicators for data year 2024. This ranking covers 207 countries; 202 of 207 (97.6%) have data from the latest year, and 99.5% have data from within the last seven years. All 100% of datapoints are classified as official. The viability check identified 29 extreme outliers beyond the 3-standard-deviation threshold.
The top of the ranking is dominated by commodity-exporting and resource-dependent economies. Lao PDR leads at 202.7 (rank 1), followed by Mali at 189.4 (rank 2), Burkina Faso at 186.3 (rank 3), and Ghana at 186.2 (rank 4). Guyana (183.2, rank 5) and Suriname (182.7, rank 6) also post high values, as does Ukraine at 181.6 (rank 7). Several Sub-Saharan African nations cluster near the top, including Congo, Dem. Rep. at 178.6 (rank 8), Cote d'Ivoire at 178.5 (rank 9), and Chad at 177.2 (rank 11). Among larger advanced economies, Australia ranks 12th at 174.1, while Italy (rank 27, 161.0), Germany (rank 63, 146.8), and France (rank 43, 153.5) also post notably elevated indices relative to the 2015 baseline.
The middle of the ranking includes a diverse mix of economies. South Africa sits at rank 109 with a value of 132.5, while Mexico ranks 116th at 130.5 and Brazil 121st at 129.4. The United States places 157th at 119.9, and China ranks 197th at 99.0, just below the 2015 baseline. One notable anomaly is Ireland at rank 188 with a value of 105.2, placing it among the lowest-ranked countries despite being a high-income economy. Japan ranks 195th at 100.5, nearly exactly at the 2015 baseline. At the bottom, Sri Lanka posts 83.5 (rank 206) and St. Vincent and the Grenadines posts 65.8 (rank 207), both indicating export prices substantially below 2015 levels. Several small island territories, including British Virgin Islands at 84.3 (rank 205) and Nauru at 92.0 (rank 204), also sit near the bottom.
This metric has several limitations. Unit value indices can be distorted by changes in the composition of exports rather than actual price changes; if a country shifts its export mix toward lower-value or higher-value goods, the index will move even if individual product prices remain constant. Coverage gaps are present: five countries lack data from the latest year. UNCTAD's quality controls filter out inconsistent country-reported data and replace it with estimates, which introduces estimation uncertainty particularly for smaller or lower-capacity statistical systems. The index does not account for export volumes, so a country with rising unit values but falling export volumes may still face deteriorating trade outcomes. Extreme outliers (29 countries flagged at the 3-standard-deviation level) suggest that for some countries the index may reflect data anomalies rather than genuine price movements.
Methodology
Metric: Export unit value index (2015=100), indicator code TX.UVI.MRCH.XD.WD. Data source: World Bank World Development Indicators, drawing on UNCTAD's trade database. Data year: 2024. Unit: absolute index value (2015=100); higher values indicate export prices have risen more relative to the 2015 baseline. Definition (verbatim from source note): 'Export unit value indices come from UNCTAD's trade database. Unit value indices 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, UNCT.' Country count: 207. Coverage: 206 of 207 countries (99.5%) have data from within the last seven years; 202 of 207 (97.6%) have data from the latest year (2024). Data quality: 100% of datapoints are classified as official. Statistical context: the index ranges from 65.8 to 202.7, a spread of 208.1%. The viability check identified 29 extreme outliers exceeding the 3-standard-deviation threshold. Average year-over-year change across the dataset is 9.6%, within the 50% volatility threshold.