GDP from Trade

Sum of exports and imports of goods and services, divided by gross domestic product, expressed as a percentage. This is also known as the "trade openness index".

Scale: Trade in goods and services as a share of GDP, shown as a percentage.

Direction of Change

TRADE OPENNESS HAS EXPANDED AND CONTRACTED

Trade as a share of GDP in Bosnia and Herzegovina shows a clear long-term expansion since 1995. The index begins at a moderate level in the mid-1990s, then rises quickly through the late 1990s and early 2000s as post-war reconstruction, market liberalisation, and regional reintegration accelerated cross-border flows. However, after 2000, we see a significant change as the share of GDP fluctuates. The steepest increases occur after 2010, when trade gradually becomes a larger component of economic activity, but it never reaches its peak shares of 1998. When viewed across key Dayton anniversary points, each milestone year shows a different level of intensity than the previous year, reflecting structural integration into regional and global markets. Taken together, the data indicate that Bosnia and Herzegovina remains more trade-exposed.

Global Rank

Compared with all geographic entities listed in the Index

Note: Population-weighted averages for Europe and the world.

Regional Rank

Compared with six former Yugoslav countries and Albania

Note: In 1995, Montenegro, Serbia, and Kosovo were part of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

1995 (highest → lowest): Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Croatia, Albania, Serbia.

2024 (highest → lowest): Slovenia, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania.

Conclusion

Trade openness in Bosnia and Herzegovina has expanded significantly since 1995, transforming the country into a far more externally connected, import-dependent economy.

Source: National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.