UNCTAD · Export Concentration Index
Export concentration by country
How concentrated are a country's merchandise exports in a few products?
Of the 213 countries compared in 2025, Sint Maarten had the highest reading, 0.93345, and Poland had the lowest reading, 0.05881. In the middle country the figure was 0.30604. Among the 204 countries measured in every edition since 1995, the middle one moved from 0.31117 to 0.30611.
Export concentration · 2025
Context statistic
Highest of 213Sint Maarten
0.93345012025 · values only
The highest and the lowest
The three countries with the highest values of 213 compared, the three with the lowest, and the highest on each continent. This statistic has no better end, so no country is shown as leading.
- 1
- 2
- 3
Highest on each continent
- Africa
Burkina Faso0.84056 - AmericasSint Maarten0.93345
- AsiaIraq0.84680
- Europe
Faroe Islands0.83705 - OceaniaMicronesia0.87373
- Every region
02Every measured country
Export concentration on a map
Each country is shaded by its value, in five groups holding the same number of countries. Hover a country for its value, or select it to open its profile. Below the map, each continent’s middle country.
Darker is a higher value. This statistic has no better end, so the shades describe size, not success.
- 0.05881–0.15801
- 0.15826–0.26426
- 0.26439–0.36631
- 0.37135–0.48675
- 0.48921–0.93345
- No reading in 2025
- Africa
0.44316
the middle country, of 54 measured · 55 members
Burkina Faso0.84056
Egypt0.12431Highest and lowest reading in Africa.
- Oceania
0.39050
the middle country, of 21 measured · 21 members
Micronesia0.87373
New Zealand0.20132Highest and lowest reading in Oceania.
- Americas
0.29395
the middle country, of 45 measured · 48 members
Sint Maarten0.93345
United States0.10570Highest and lowest reading in Americas.
- Asia
0.29205
the middle country, of 51 measured · 52 members
Iraq0.84680
Türkiye0.06430Highest and lowest reading in Asia.
- Europe
0.11085
the middle country, of 42 measured · 49 members
Faroe Islands0.83705
Poland0.05881Highest and lowest reading in Europe.
- Every region
22 sub-regions, highest middle country first
- Middle Africa
0.58189
the middle country, of 9 measured · 9 members
Angola0.78218
Cameroon0.37634Highest and lowest reading in Middle Africa.
- Micronesia
0.48127
the middle country, of 7 measured · 7 members
Micronesia0.87373
Nauru0.36379Highest and lowest reading in Micronesia.
- Western Africa
0.43397
the middle country, of 16 measured · 16 members
Burkina Faso0.84056
Togo0.18204Highest and lowest reading in Western Africa.
- Central Asia
0.41494
the middle country, of 5 measured · 5 members
Turkmenistan0.76545
Tajikistan0.29240Highest and lowest reading in Central Asia.
- Eastern Africa
0.41203
the middle country, of 18 measured · 19 members
South Sudan0.78024
Kenya0.18625Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Africa.
- Polynesia
0.38922
the middle country, of 7 measured · 7 members
Tuvalu0.68046
Samoa0.20757Highest and lowest reading in Polynesia.
- Melanesia
0.36623
the middle country, of 5 measured · 5 members
New Caledonia0.63143
Fiji0.22353Highest and lowest reading in Melanesia.
- Northern Africa
0.33821
the middle country, of 6 measured · 6 members
Libya0.78352Egypt0.12431Highest and lowest reading in Northern Africa.
- Western Asia
0.32250
the middle country, of 18 measured · 19 members
Iraq0.84680Türkiye0.06430Highest and lowest reading in Western Asia.
- Southern Africa
0.30906
the middle country, of 5 measured · 5 members
Botswana0.80055
South Africa0.15268Highest and lowest reading in Southern Africa.
- Caribbean
0.30499
the middle country, of 21 measured · 24 members
Sint Maarten0.93345
Dominica0.11548Highest and lowest reading in Caribbean.
- South America
0.29911
the middle country, of 12 measured · 12 members
Guyana0.77741
Brazil0.17851Highest and lowest reading in South America.
- Eastern Asia
0.23965
the middle country, of 8 measured · 8 members
Mongolia0.46490
China0.09260Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Asia.
- Central America
0.23847
the middle country, of 8 measured · 8 members
Belize0.32719
Panama0.13626Highest and lowest reading in Central America.
- Southern Asia
0.20324
the middle country, of 9 measured · 9 members
Maldives0.46741
Iran0.12646Highest and lowest reading in Southern Asia.
- South-eastern Asia
0.19557
the middle country, of 11 measured · 11 members
Timor-Leste0.45148
Thailand0.08421Highest and lowest reading in South-eastern Asia.
- Southern Europe
0.16406
the middle country, of 14 measured · 17 members
Gibraltar0.61784
Croatia0.06593Highest and lowest reading in Southern Europe.
- Eastern Europe
0.12632
the middle country, of 10 measured · 10 members
Slovakia0.25268Poland0.05881Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Europe.
- Northern Europe
0.11332
the middle country, of 11 measured · 13 members
Faroe Islands0.83705
Denmark0.07167Highest and lowest reading in Northern Europe.
- Western Europe
0.09348
the middle country, of 7 measured · 9 members
Switzerland0.36351
Austria0.06579Highest and lowest reading in Western Europe.
- Australia and New Zealand
2 of 2 measured — too few for a middle: Australia, New Zealand.
Australia0.28664New Zealand0.20132Highest and lowest reading in Australia and New Zealand.
- Northern America
4 of 4 measured — too few for a middle: Bermuda, Canada, Greenland, United States.
Bermuda0.57095United States0.10570Highest and lowest reading in Northern America.
03The whole field at once
The spread
213 countries, one dot each, on one scale — further right is a higher value. Half the countries are above 0.30604; a quarter are above 0.46443, and a quarter below 0.18343. The bar in each row marks that continent’s middle country.
04All 213 ever measured
Every country
In order, highest value first. No rank or position is shown: too many countries share the same value for an order to mean anything. Neither end is ranked as better here. The least concentrated exporters are large manufacturing economies, and the most concentrated are oil and mineral exporters and small islands, so the order says as much about a country's size and geology as about its policies. Many readings are UNCTAD's estimates rather than trade a country reported.
Showing 25 of 213 countries
Values for 2025. The change column compares 2025 with 2024 only; the sparkline covers the recent editions.
051995–2025 · 31 reference years
Over time
Each point is one year from 1995. A line that climbs means exports narrowing onto fewer products — often a commodity boom rather than a policy choice — and one that falls means the export mix widening.
- the middle country
- the middle half of countries
- the middle of the 204 countries measured every time
- each continent’s middle country
The same, year by year
| Year | Countries | Middle country | Middle half | Measured every time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 213 | 0.30604 | 0.18343 – 0.46443 | 0.30611 |
| 2024 | 213 | 0.30626 | 0.18201 – 0.46324 | 0.30635 |
| 2023 | 213 | 0.30470 | 0.18046 – 0.46341 | 0.30650 |
| 2022 | 213 | 0.30007 | 0.19174 – 0.46584 | 0.29896 |
| 2021 | 213 | 0.30953 | 0.18960 – 0.46716 | 0.30368 |
| 2020 | 213 | 0.30624 | 0.18511 – 0.47519 | 0.30554 |
| 2019 | 213 | 0.31279 | 0.18985 – 0.48058 | 0.31186 |
| 2018 | 213 | 0.29471 | 0.18407 – 0.46876 | 0.29277 |
| 2017 | 213 | 0.30271 | 0.19227 – 0.49634 | 0.30267 |
| 2016 | 213 | 0.29347 | 0.19284 – 0.48891 | 0.29129 |
| 2015 | 213 | 0.30899 | 0.18392 – 0.49914 | 0.30542 |
| 2014 | 213 | 0.30652 | 0.18530 – 0.52863 | 0.30628 |
| 2013 | 213 | 0.31050 | 0.17229 – 0.49621 | 0.31002 |
| 2012 | 213 | 0.30091 | 0.17256 – 0.50650 | 0.29756 |
| 2011 | 211 | 0.30002 | 0.17150 – 0.51637 | 0.29674 |
| 2010 | 209 | 0.29333 | 0.15719 – 0.48985 | 0.29646 |
| 2009 | 209 | 0.26535 | 0.16067 – 0.44708 | 0.26648 |
| 2008 | 209 | 0.29519 | 0.17287 – 0.46041 | 0.29527 |
| 2007 | 207 | 0.32299 | 0.17046 – 0.47615 | 0.32381 |
| 2006 | 207 | 0.31799 | 0.16859 – 0.50621 | 0.31968 |
| 2005 | 207 | 0.31353 | 0.18214 – 0.52515 | 0.31514 |
| 2004 | 207 | 0.31234 | 0.18640 – 0.48546 | 0.31239 |
| 2003 | 207 | 0.31501 | 0.18298 – 0.48441 | 0.32344 |
| 2002 | 205 | 0.31883 | 0.17516 – 0.49198 | 0.31984 |
| 2001 | 205 | 0.30393 | 0.17620 – 0.51321 | 0.30431 |
| 2000 | 205 | 0.31244 | 0.17605 – 0.51558 | 0.31471 |
| 1999 | 204 | 0.32618 | 0.16178 – 0.51978 | 0.32618 |
| 1998 | 204 | 0.30525 | 0.17551 – 0.49851 | 0.30525 |
| 1997 | 204 | 0.31855 | 0.16867 – 0.51011 | 0.31855 |
| 1996 | 204 | 0.31623 | 0.17104 – 0.51076 | 0.31623 |
| 1995 | 204 | 0.31117 | 0.16412 – 0.48790 | 0.31117 |
062024 → 2025
Who rose and fell
The biggest changes in value between the two newest editions — reference years recalculated in one report, not two separate publications. Places are shown second, because they also move when other countries do.
Rose most
before → after
Turks and Caicos Islands0.27117 → 0.46231+0.19114
British Virgin Islands0.38758 → 0.55718+0.16960
Northern Mariana Islands0.32462 → 0.45543+0.13081- Sint Maarten0.81087 → 0.93345+0.12258
- Faroe Islands0.72210 → 0.83705+0.11495
Fell most
before → after
Somalia0.82228 → 0.32231−0.49997- Nauru0.75484 → 0.36379−0.39105
Palau0.75186 → 0.39050−0.36136
North Korea0.44948 → 0.13913−0.31035
Kyrgyzstan0.60076 → 0.41494−0.18582
213 countries were measured in both 2024 and 2025.
07Across every edition
Export concentration in records
The extremes of the statistic. A record reached by more than one country names none of them.
Highest reading on record
0.99794
Export concentration index (0–1, normalised Herfindahl–Hirschman)
Lowest reading on record
0.04459
Export concentration index (0–1, normalised Herfindahl–Hirschman)
Biggest rise between editions
+0.73618
0.16410 → 0.90029
Biggest fall between editions
−0.71065
0.91995 → 0.20930
Biggest change since first measured
+0.46203
0.21843 → 0.68046
Highest most often
13 of 31
editions, alone at the first-listed end
08The measure
About export concentration
The export concentration index measures how far a country's merchandise exports are concentrated in a few products rather than spread across many. It runs from 0, exports spread evenly across every product group, to 1, a single product — the classic measure of how exposed a country's export earnings are to the price of one or two goods.
What the number is: Export concentration index (0–1, normalised Herfindahl–Hirschman).
09Where it fits
Connections
Its part in the Country Index, the statistics whose values line up most closely with it across countries, and others on the same subject.
In the Country Index
Context, with no vote
This statistic is published in full under Economy & Innovation and Mobility & Trade, but does not help decide any Country Index standing.
Economy & InnovationMobility & TradeWhich statistics vote, and why
Moves with
Where export concentration is higher, these tend to be higher too.
- Commodity Export DependenceUNCTAD · 191 countries in commonρ 0.68
- Average Household SizeUN DESA Population Division · 134 countries in commonρ 0.57
- Gender Inequality IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 172 countries in commonρ 0.54
Moves against
Where export concentration is higher, these tend to be lower.
- Economic Complexity IndexKeyGrowth Lab at Harvard University · 145 countries in commonρ −0.68
- RISE Renewable Energy Policy ScoreESMAP · 139 countries in commonρ −0.67
- RISE Energy Efficiency Policy ScoreESMAP · 139 countries in commonρ −0.63
Rank correlation (ρ, from −1 to 1) across countries, on each statistic’s newest edition, out of 314 statistics sharing at least 80 countries with this one. Two statistics that move together do not cause each other.
10Keep reading
Explore further
The subject
The countries at either end
11Questions
Export concentration: questions and answers
Which country has the highest export concentration?
Sint Maarten, at 0.93345, among the 213 countries compared in 2025.
Which country has the lowest export concentration?
Poland, at 0.05881, among the 213 countries compared in 2025.
How many countries does the Export Concentration Index cover?
213 in 2025. The number measured varies from 204 to 213 between editions.
What is the world average export concentration?
This site does not calculate a world average, which would depend on how countries are weighted. In the middle country of the 213 compared in 2025, the figure was 0.30604.
Is this UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD)’s own ranking?
No ranking is shown. UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) publishes values only, and too many countries share the same value for an ordering to mean anything, so none is derived.
How often is the Export Concentration Index published?
This site holds 31 reference years, 1995–2025, all recalculated in UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD)’s 2026 report on one method — not 31 separate publications.
Where does the data come from, and can I download it?
From UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), under CC BY 3.0 IGO. Read from UNCTAD's own US.ConcentDiversIndices bulk file on UNCTADstat, calculated by UNCTAD from its merchandise trade matrix. UNCTAD's diversification index and the number of product groups exported are kept beside it, and UNCTAD's "Estimated" footnote travels with every reading it estimated. Every edition is on this site’s Datasets pages as a full table, and downloads as a CSV file with every value unrounded.
12Method
Sources, method and citation
Source
Export Concentration Index — UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
Read from UNCTAD's own US.ConcentDiversIndices bulk file on UNCTADstat, calculated by UNCTAD from its merchandise trade matrix. UNCTAD's diversification index and the number of product groups exported are kept beside it, and UNCTAD's "Estimated" footnote travels with every reading it estimated.
Newest edition
Report year 2025Data year 2025
Cite the source as: UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD). Merchandise: product concentration and diversification indices of exports and imports, annual. Geneva: UNCTAD Data Hub.
Licence: CC BY 3.0 IGO, checked 2026-09-29.
How this page reads the numbers
- No rank or position is shown: UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) publishes values only, and too many countries share the same value for an ordering to mean anything.
- This statistic has no better end, so the page describes higher and lower values and never calls a country a leader.
- A country is named at an end only when it holds that value alone. Where several share it, the page says how many and names none first.
- Values are stored exactly as published and trimmed only for display. “The middle country” is the median of the countries measured, not a world average.
The file itself, column by column — where it came from, what each column holds, and every edition as a CSV — is on its dataset page.
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Export concentration by country: Export Concentration Index, data from UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD). https://nationsinquiry.com/statistics/export-concentration