Global Trade Growth
+4.9%
YoY (Dec 2025)
+0.1pp vs. Nov
Trade Volume Index
111.7
Index (2021=100, Dec 2025)
+0.4% MoM
2025 Full-Year Growth
+4.4%
2025 avg vs. 2024 avg
strongest since 2022
Countries Covered
97
Including sub-regions

Data

MonthGlobal Volume IndexMoM Change (%)YoY Change (%)
Dec 2025111.7+0.4%+4.9%
Nov 2025111.3+1.8%+4.8%
Oct 2025109.3-1.4%+3.1%
Sep 2025110.8+1.2%+4.9%
Aug 2025109.5-0.4%+3.0%
Jul 2025110.0+1.6%+5.1%
Jun 2025108.3-0.5%+3.2%
May 2025108.8-0.4%+4.5%
Apr 2025109.2-0.9%+4.6%
Mar 2025110.2+2.7%+7.0%
Feb 2025107.3+0.3%+3.1%
Jan 2025106.9+0.4%+4.3%
Dec 2024106.5+0.3%+3.3%

About this Dataset

The CPB World Trade Monitor is the most comprehensive monthly dataset of global merchandise trade volumes, produced by CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis. It aggregates import and export volume data from 97 countries — covering approximately 97% of world trade — into a single harmonised index.

  • Coverage: 97 countries across 9 regions; Advanced Economies and Emerging Economies sub-indices
  • Frequency: Monthly, released with approximately 6-week lag
  • Base year: 2021 = 100
  • Methodology: Volume data derived from national trade statistics; price deflators applied to remove goods price effects; seasonal adjustment applied

The monitor is widely used by international organisations (IMF, World Bank, WTO), central banks, and global macro investors as a timely indicator of world economic momentum. Sharp declines in trade volume have historically preceded or accompanied global recessions (2008–09, 2015–16, 2020).

Frequently Asked Questions

The CPB World Trade Monitor measures the physical volume of global merchandise trade — i.e., the quantity of goods crossing borders, stripped of price effects. It combines import and export volume data from 97 countries (covering ~97% of world trade) into a single global index. The index is seasonally adjusted and available in both level and growth rate form.
Trade value is the monetary worth of goods crossing borders (affected by both quantity and price changes). Trade volume strips out price changes to show only changes in quantity — making it a more direct measure of real economic activity. When commodity prices spike, trade value may rise even if fewer goods are shipped; volume captures the underlying physical flow.
Trade volume is a coincident indicator of global economic activity — it tends to fall sharply before and during recessions and recover during expansions. Macro investors use it to gauge global demand for commodities, industrial goods, and emerging market exports. Shipping and logistics sectors are priced partly on trade volume expectations. Trade data also reveals supply chain disruptions, geopolitical shifts in sourcing, and the growth of intra-regional vs. global trade patterns.