Countries by Export volume index (2015 = 100)
Djibouti leads all 204 countries in the 2023 export volume index with a value of 2902.6, roughly five times the second-ranked country, Timor-Leste, at 993.6. At the opposite end, North Korea (Korea, Dem. People's Rep.) records a value of just 5.6, placing it last. The gap of over 2897 points between first and last reflects the extreme divergence in export growth trajectories relative to the 2015 baseline.
Ranking 2023
Analysis
This metric measures how the physical volume of merchandise exports has changed relative to a base year of 2015, set at 100. Export volume indexes are derived from UNCTAD's volume index series and are the ratio of the export value indexes to the corresponding unit value indexes. 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 level. A value above 100 means a country exports more volume than it did in 2015; a value below 100 means less. The metric covers merchandise trade only and does not capture services exports. The dataset includes 204 countries, with 201 of 204 (98.5%) reporting 2023 data and 203 of 204 (99.5%) having data from the last seven years. All 100% of datapoints are classified as official quality. The ranking contains 13 extreme outliers identified at the 3-sigma threshold, and the full range runs from 5.6 to 2902.6, a spread of 51,732.1%.
The top of the ranking is dominated by smaller economies and fast-growing exporters. Djibouti (Rank 1, 2902.6) stands far above all others, followed by Timor-Leste (Rank 2, 993.6) and Guyana (Rank 3, 607.2). Nauru ranks fourth at 594.9, and Armenia fifth at 392.4. Further down the top tier, Guinea (Rank 6, 367.5), Rwanda (Rank 9, 253.5), and Cambodia (Rank 10, 246.3) all show indexes more than double the 2015 baseline. Viet Nam (Rank 22, 194.6), Ireland (Rank 29, 168.7), and Bangladesh (Rank 33, 163.1) are among the larger economies posting strong growth in export volumes relative to 2015.
The middle of the ranking clusters near or just above the 2015 baseline. Spain sits at exactly 100.0 (Rank 137), while Chile (Rank 136) records 100.8 and Switzerland (Rank 135) 101.5. Several large advanced economies fall below the baseline: Germany ranks 157th at 91.5, France 162nd at 86.2, and Hong Kong SAR, China 158th at 91.1. The bottom of the ranking includes Ukraine (Rank 190, 52.4), Cuba (Rank 194, 43.6), Yemen (Rank 200, 36.4), and North Korea (Rank 204, 5.6), all well below their 2015 export volumes. Qatar (Rank 173, 74.3) and Luxembourg (Rank 176, 72.9) are notable placements given their historically high export profiles.
Several limitations apply to this metric. Because indexes are relative to 2015, countries with unusually low export volumes in that base year can record very high index values without necessarily being large exporters in absolute terms. The metric covers only merchandise trade and excludes services, which can be significant for financial centers, tourism-dependent economies, and other services exporters. Unit value estimates rely on UNCTAD quality controls, and for countries with weaker statistical capacity, estimates may substitute for direct reporting. The 13 extreme outliers at the 3-sigma threshold — including Djibouti, Timor-Leste, Guyana, and Nauru — may reflect base-year anomalies, resource extraction ramp-ups, or statistical revisions rather than sustained structural export growth. Sudan's value of 110.9117449062 retains unusual decimal precision, suggesting a calculated estimate rather than a rounded official figure.
Methodology
Metric: Export volume index (2015 = 100), indicator code TX.QTY.MRCH.XD.WD. Source: World Bank World Development Indicators, data year 2023. Definition (verbatim from source): Export volume indexes are derived from UNCTAD's volume index series and are the ratio of the export value indexes to the corresponding unit value indexes. 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 level. The index uses 2015 as the base year (= 100). Coverage: 204 countries with data, exceeding the 80-country threshold. Recency: 203 of 204 countries (99.5%) have data from the last seven years; 201 of 204 (98.5%) report 2023 specifically. Data quality: 100% of datapoints are classified as official. Outliers: 13 extreme outliers identified at the 3-sigma threshold. Average year-over-year change: 14.2%, within the 50% volatility threshold. Value range: 5.6 to 2902.6 (51,732.1% spread). The metric is limited to merchandise trade and does not include services exports. Higher values indicate greater export volume relative to the 2015 baseline.