The following article lists different countries and territories by their merchandise exports according to data from the World Bank and other sources. Merchandise exports are goods that are produced in one country and sold to another country. Only physical objects are counting under this kind of exports. For example, cars, clothing, machinery, and agricultural products are merchandise exports. Exports of services are excluded.
The table initially ranks each country or territory with their latest available merchandise or goods export values, and can be reranked (sort by ascending or descending) by any of the sources.
Country/Territory | Region | United Nations [1] [2] | WTO [3] | World Bank [4] | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Exports | Year | Exports | Year | Exports | Year | ||
World | — | 24,486,780 | 2022-23 | 22,487,000 | 2021-22 | 24,314,334 | 2022-23 |
China | Asia | 3,388,716 | [n 1] 2023 | 3,153,601 | 2022 | 3,179,193 | [n 2] 2023 |
United States | Americas | 2,019,160 | 2023 | 2,064,787 | 2022 | 2,045,220 | 2023 |
Germany | Europe | 1,702,362 | 2023 | 1,655,480 | 2022 | 1,694,135 | 2023 |
Netherlands | Europe | 741,804 | 2023 | 612,852 | 2022 | 731,871 | 2023 |
Japan | Asia | 719,844 | 2023 | 765,518 | 2022 | 713,824 | 2023 |
Italy | Europe | 677,095 | 2023 | 603,585 | 2022 | 645,564 | 2023 |
France | Europe | 634,525 | 2023 | 617,817 | 2022 | 679,670 | 2023 |
South Korea | Asia | 632,225 | 2023 | 626,920 | 2022 | 645,048 | 2023 |
India | Asia | 581,997 | 2023 | 494,025 | 2021 | 435,652 | 2023 |
Mexico | Americas | 576,144 | 2023 | 500,225 | 2021 | 593,573 | 2023 |
Belgium | Europe | 568,505 | 2023 | 395,400 | 2021 | 614,703 | 2022 |
Canada | Americas | 568,413 | 2022 | 597,480 | 2022 | 569,147 | 2023 |
United Kingdom | Europe | 519,684 | 2023 | 625,325 | 2023 | 628,856 | 2023 |
Singapore | Asia | 475,473 | 2023 | 395,400 | 2021-22 | 545,938 | 2023 |
Vietnam | Asia | 453,694 | 2023 | 335,929 | 2021 | 354,671 | 2023 |
Taiwan | Asia | 432,956 | [n 3] 2023 | 447,693 | 2021 | — | 2022 |
Hong Kong | Asia | 431,418 | 2023 | 457,357 | 2021 | 574,617 | 2023 |
Switzerland | Europe | 420,657 | 2023 | 379,885 | 2021 | 489,089 | 2023 |
Spain | Europe | 420,169 | 2023 | 384,459 | 2021 | 412,060 | 2022 |
Russia | Europe | 407,853 | 2023 | 529,435 | 2022 | 508,364 | 2022 |
Australia | Oceania | 370,869 | 2023 | 343,594 | 2021 | 371,768 | 2023 |
Poland | Europe | 354,667 | 2023 | 337,908 | 2021 | 361,247 | 2023 |
Brazil | Americas | 339,695 | 2023 | 280,815 | 2021 | 344,432 | 2023 |
Malaysia | Asia | 312,964 | 2023 | 299,028 | 2021 | 268,280 | 2022 |
Saudi Arabia | Asia | 304,500 | 2023 | 258,400 | 2021 | 410,676 | 2022 |
United Arab Emirates | Asia | 279,917 | 2023 | 425,042 | 2021 | — | |
Thailand | Asia | 280,087 | 2023 | 271,174 | 2021 | 285,375 | 2022 |
Indonesia | Asia | 258,797 | 2023 | 229,850 | 2021 | 292,538 | 2022 |
Turkey | Europe | 254,171 | 2023 | 225,291 | 2021 | 250,830 | 2023 |
Czech Republic | Europe | 253,327 | 2023 | 226,409 | 2021 | 196,981 | 2023 |
Austria | Europe | 222,185 | 2023 | 202,081 | 2021 | 216,780 | 2023 |
Ireland | Europe | 212,869 | 2023 | 190,157 | 2021 | 334,222 | 2023 |
Sweden | Europe | 197,797 | 2023 | 189,654 | 2021 | 215,929 | 2022 |
Norway | Europe | 177,454 | 2023 | 159,498 | 2021 | 270,459 | 2022 |
Hungary | Europe | 158,075 | 2023 | 141,727 | 2021 | 130,865 | 2022 |
Denmark | Europe | 136,074 | 2023 | 124,756 | 2021 | 147,705 | 2022 |
Slovakia | Europe | 117,062 | 2023 | 103,620 | 2021 | 101,643 | 2022 |
South Africa | Africa | 110,662 | 2023 | 123,572 | 2021 | 123,357 | 2022 |
Iraq | Asia | 108,413 | 2023 | 131,766 | 2022 | 73,083 | 2021 |
Chile | Americas | 100,290 | 2023 | 94,705 | 2021 | 98,548 | 2022 |
Romania | Europe | 100,642 | 2023 | 87,716 | 2021 | 65,870 | 2022 |
Qatar | Asia | 100,092 | 2023 | 86,675 | 2021 | 130,965 | 2022 |
Kuwait | Asia | 90,476 | 2022 | 71,436 | 2021 | 40,248 | 2020 |
Argentina | Americas | 88,268 | 2022 | 77,935 | 2021 | 88,515 | 2022 |
Finland | Europe | 86,062 | 2022 | 81,595 | 2021 | 91,892 | 2022 |
Kazakhstan | Asia | 84,391 | 2022 | 60,625 | 2021 | 86,129 | 2022 |
Portugal | Europe | 82,354 | 2022 | 75,064 | 2021 | 73,416 | 2021 |
Oman | Asia | 80,322 | 2022 | 53,671 | 2021 | 30,506 | 2020 |
Philippines | Asia | 78,929 | 2022 | 74,609 | 2021 | 57,448 | 2022 |
Israel | Asia | 73,583 | 2022 | 59,429 | 2021 | 80,032 | 2022 |
Algeria | Africa | 66,736 | 2022 | 36,700 | 2021 | 65,080 | 2022 |
Bangladesh | Asia | 65,970 | 2022 | 44,223 | 2021 | 51,868 | 2022 |
Nigeria | Africa | 63,338 | 2022 | 46,117 | 2021 | 64,227 | 2022 |
Peru | Americas | 58,172 | 2022 | 63,106 | 2021 | 66,235 | 2022 |
Greece | Europe | 57,568 | 2022 | 47,124 | 2021 | 56,191 | 2022 |
Slovenia | Europe | 55,479 | 2022 | 56,950 | 2021 | 41,759 | 2021 |
Angola | Africa | 51,269 | 2022 | 33,337 | 2021 | 50,038 | 2022 |
Bulgaria | Europe | 50,250 | 2022 | 40,861 | 2021 | 31,160 | 2020 |
Egypt | Africa | 48,148 | 2022 | 49,277 | 2022 | 64,227 | 2022 |
Lithuania | Europe | 46,502 | 2022 | 40,821 | 2021 | 43,138 | 2022 |
Ukraine | Europe | 44,443 | [n 4] 2022 | 68,075 | [n 4] 2021 | 40,912 | [n 4] 2022 |
New Zealand | Oceania | 43,997 | 2022 | 44,867 | 2021 | 46,183 | 2022 |
Morocco | Africa | 42,331 | 2022 | 35,843 | [n 5] 2021 | 36,574 | [n 5] 2022 |
Libya | Africa | 39,505 | 2022 | 25,697 | 2021 | 27,733 | 2019 |
Colombia | Americas | 38,950 | 2022 | 40,287 | 2021 | 42,734 | 2021 |
Azerbaijan | Asia | 38,146 | 2022 | 21,697 | 2021 | 40,868 | 2022 |
Ecuador | Americas | 35,380 | 2022 | 26,969 | 2021 | 33,451 | 2022 |
Pakistan | Asia | 31,175 | 2022 | 28,320 | 2021 | 29,050 | 2021 |
DR Congo | Africa | 29,518 | [n 6] 2022 | 19,900 | 2021 | 22,185 | [n 7] 2021 |
Serbia | Europe | 28,565 | 2022 | 25,564 | 2021 | 28,296 | 2022 |
Croatia | Europe | 25,383 | 2022 | 22,662 | 2021 | 21,435 | 2022 |
Estonia | Europe | 23,146 | 2022 | 21,521 | 2021 | 19,253 | 2021 |
Latvia | Europe | 22,525 | 2022 | 20,902 | 2021 | 19,175 | 2021 |
Bahrain | Asia | 22,252 | 2022 | 23,230 | 2021 | 18,043 | 2018 |
Cambodia | Asia | 20,576 | 2022 | 17,971 | 2021 | 23,179 | 2022 |
Tunisia | Africa | 19,871 | 2022 | 16,689 | 2021 | 13,834 | 2020 |
Myanmar | Asia | 17,085 | 2021 | 15,449 | 2021 | 10,840 | 2019 |
Papua New Guinea | Oceania | 16,890 | 2022 | 10,969 | 2021 | 11,446 | 2021 |
Luxembourg | Europe | 16,810 | 2021 | 16,581 | 2021 | 28,978 | 2022 |
Ivory Coast | Africa | 16,395 | [n 8] 2022 | 15,333 | 2021 | 15,320 | 2021 |
Ghana | Africa | 16,258 | 2022 | 17,000 | 2021 | 14,727 | 2021 |
Guatemala | Americas | 15,806 | 2022 | 13,727 | 2021 | 12,413 | 2021 |
Iran | Asia | 15,597 | 2022 | 72,345 | 2021 | 28,345 | 2000 |
Panama | Americas | 15,467 | 2022 | 6,739 | 2021 | 16,690 | 2021 |
Costa Rica | Americas | 15,319 | 2022 | 15,318 | 2021 | 16,302 | 2022 |
Uzbekistan | Asia | 15,287 | 2022 | 14,063 | 2021 | 17,110 | 2022 |
Brunei | Asia | 14,238 | [n 9] 2022 | 11,065 | 2021 | 14,130 | 2022 |
Turkmenistan | Asia | 14,227 | 2022 | 7,815 | 2021 | — | |
Bolivia | Americas | 13,653 | [n 10] 2022 | 11,030 | 2021 | 13,528 | 2022 |
Trinidad and Tobago | Americas | 13,220 | 2022 | 8,619 | 2021 | 6,002 | 2020 |
Honduras | Americas | 13,179 | 2022 | 10,202 | 2021 | 4,291 | 2020 |
Sri Lanka | Asia | 12,770 | 2022 | 12,502 | 2021 | 10,047 | 2020 |
Mongolia | Asia | 12,558 | 2022 | 9,247 | 2021 | 9,854 | 2022 |
Dominican Republic | Americas | 12,390 | 2022 | 12,410 | 2021 | 13,777 | 2022 |
Zambia | Africa | 11,690 | 2022 | 11,100 | 2021 | 11,505 | 2022 |
Uruguay | Americas | 11,190 | 2022 | 9,507 | 2021 | 17,156 | 2022 |
Congo | Africa | 11,110 | 2022 | 6,970 | 2021 | 4,435 | 2020 |
Belarus | Europe | 10,975 | 2022 | 39,990 | 2021 | 37,566 | 2022 |
Equatorial Guinea | Africa | 10,107 | 2022 | 5,100 | 2021 | 175 | 1996 |
Paraguay | Americas | 9,954 | 2022 | 10,547 | 2021 | 10,955 | 2020 |
Laos | Asia | 9,159 | 2022 | 7,620 | 2021 | 7,694 | [n 11] 2021 |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | Europe | 9,678 | 2022 | 8,614 | 2021 | 8,685 | 2022 |
Gabon | Africa | 9,012 | 2022 | 6,323 | 2021 | 5,112 | 2015 |
Jordan | Asia | 8,790 | 2022 | 9,375 | 2021 | 7,943 | 2020 |
North Macedonia | Europe | 8,729 | 2022 | 7,516 | 2021 | 7,091 | 2021 |
Guinea | Africa | 8,606 | 2022 | 10,440 | 2021 | 8,931 | 2020 |
Botswana | Africa | 8,277 | 2022 | 7,095 | 2021 | 7,414 | 2021 |
Mozambique | Africa | 8,199 | 2022 | 5,579 | 2021 | 8,281 | 2022 |
Guyana | Americas | 7,866 | 2022 | 4,295 | 2021 | 4,356 | 2021 |
Iceland | Europe | 7,424 | 2022 | 5,957 | 2021 | 6,012 | 2021 |
Kenya | Africa | 7,391 | 2022 | 6,739 | 2021 | 6,789 | 2021 |
Nicaragua | Americas | 7,360 | 2022 | 6,544 | 2021 | 4,395 | 2020 |
Cameroon | Africa | 7,258 | 2022 | 4,115 | 2021 | 4,415 | 2020 |
El Salvador | Americas | 7,115 | 2022 | 6,629 | 2021 | 4,158 | 2020 |
Tanzania | Africa | 6,825 | [n 12] 2022 | 6,354 | 2021 | 6,371 | 2020 |
Namibia | Africa | 6,005 | 2022 | 6,642 | 2021 | 4,154 | 2022 |
Senegal | Africa | 5,725 | 2022 | 5,091 | 2021 | 3,866 | 2018 |
Armenia | Asia | 5,307 | 2022 | 3,023 | 2021 | 5,521 | 2022 |
Venezuela | Americas | 4,763 | 2022 | 3,555 | 2021 | 27,399 | 2016 |
Burkina Faso | Africa | 4,549 | 2022 | 4,797 | 2021 | 4,846 | 2020 |
Cyprus | Europe | 4,411 | [n 13] 2022 | 3,778 | [n 13] 2021 | 3,372 | [n 13] 2020 |
Moldova | Europe | 4,335 | [n 14] 2022 | 3,144 | [n 14] 2021 | 1,944 | [n 14] 2020 |
Albania | Europe | 4,306 | 2022 | 3,559 | 2021 | 2,037 | 2022 |
Georgia | Asia | 3,887 | [n 15] 2022 | 4,242 | [n 15] 2021 | 4,346 | [n 15] 2020 |
Lebanon | Asia | 3,862 | 2022 | 4,274 | 2021 | 3,819 | 2020 |
Chad | Africa | 3,857 | 2022 | 2,560 | 2021 | 135 | 1994 |
Mauritania | Africa | 3,778 | 2022 | 3,509 | 2021 | 2,590 | 2020 |
Madagascar | Africa | 3,509 | 2022 | 2,742 | 2021 | 1,948 | 2020 |
Malta | Europe | 3,269 | 2022 | 3,102 | 2021 | 3,383 | 2020 |
Sudan | Africa | 3,164 | 2022 | 4,300 | 2021 | 4,357 | 2022 |
Ethiopia | Africa | 3,083 | 2022 | 4,011 | 2021 | 3,970 | 2022 |
New Caledonia | Oceania | 3,058 | 2022 | 1,696 | 2021 | 1,335 | 2016 |
Uganda | Africa | 2,990 | 2022 | 4,200 | 2021 | 4,494 | 2021 |
Zimbabwe | Africa | 2,814 | 2022 | 5,921 | 2021 | 4,931 | 2020 |
Suriname | Americas | 2,579 | 2022 | 2,203 | 2021 | 2,343 | 2020 |
Eswatini | Africa | 2,383 | 2022 | 2,260 | 2021 | 1,739 | 2020 |
Cayman Islands | Americas | 2,190 | 2022 | 27 | 2021 | 356 | 2019 |
Kyrgyzstan | Asia | 2,187 | 2022 | 1,659 | 2021 | 2,007 | 2020 |
Mali | Africa | 2,034 | 2022 | 5,015 | 2021 | 4,794 | 2020 |
Cuba | Americas | 1,901 | 2022 | 1,548 | 2021 | — | |
Yemen | Asia | 1,711 | 2022 | 1,871 | 2021 | 472 | 2016 |
Tajikistan | Asia | 1,786 | 2021 | 1,967 | 2021 | 1,270 | 2020 |
Nepal | Asia | 1,646 | 2021 | 1,979 | 2021 | 1,720 | 2021 |
Faroe Islands | Europe | 1,626 | 2021 | 2,481 | 2020 | 1,005 | 2011 |
Afghanistan | Asia | 1,574 | 2022 | 1,007 | 2021 | 776 | 2020 |
Marshall Islands | Oceania | 1,562 | 2022 | 80 | 2021 | 86 | 2018 |
Greenland | Americas | 1,533 | 2022 | 801 | 2021 | 3,052 | 2018 |
Rwanda | Africa | 1,435 | 2022 | 1,251 | 2021 | 2,111 | 2022 |
Mauritius | Africa | 1,380 | 2022 | 1,964 | 2021 | 1,788 | 2020 |
Macau | Asia | 1,367 | [n 16] 2022 | 1,620 | 2021 | 4,249 | [n 17] 2020 |
Togo | Africa | 1,351 | 2022 | 1,040 | 2021 | 1,207 | 2020 |
Sierra Leone | Africa | 1,303 | 2022 | 663 | 2021 | 647 | 2020 |
Haiti | Americas | 1,302 | 2022 | 960 | 2021 | 1,130 | 2021 |
Fiji | Oceania | 1,070 | 2022 | 874 | 2021 | 819 | 2020 |
Malawi | Africa | 941 | 2022 | 874 | 2021 | 911 | 2020 |
Jamaica | Americas | 849 | 2022 | 1,343 | 2021 | 1,218 | 2020 |
Benin | Africa | 833 | 2022 | 3,684 | 2021 | 2,995 | 2020 |
Lesotho | Africa | 817 | 2022 | 1,052 | 2021 | 1,064 | 2021 |
Montenegro | Europe | 736 | 2022 | 515 | 2021 | 808 | 2022 |
Seychelles | Africa | 657 | 2022 | 414 | 2021 | 419 | 2020 |
Syria | Asia | 612 | 2022 | 900 | 2021 | 12,272 | 2010 |
Djibouti | Africa | 604 | 2022 | 3,282 | 2021 | 2,784 | 2020 |
Eritrea | Africa | 575 | 2022 | 600 | 2021 | 36 | 2000 |
Solomon Islands | Oceania | 574 | 2022 | 371 | 2021 | 378 | 2020 |
Bahamas | Americas | 574 | 2022 | 901 | 2021 | 389 | 2020 |
Barbados | Americas | 498 | 2022 | 340 | 2021 | 976 | 2016 |
South Sudan | Africa | 448 | 2022 | 15,903 | 2020 | 2,190 | 2020 |
Niger | Africa | 446 | 2022 | 1,229 | 2021 | 1,115 | 2020 |
Gibraltar | Europe | 412 | 2022 | — | — | ||
Falkland Islands | Americas | 403 | 2022 | — | 855 | 2020 | |
Bhutan | Asia | 399 | 2022 | 886 | 2021 | 651 | 2020 |
Andorra | Europe | 386 | 2022 | 148 | 2021 | 129 | 2019 |
Curaçao | Americas | 365 | 2022 | 303 | 2021 | 270 | 2020 |
British Virgin Islands | Americas | 353 | 2022 | 1,492 | 2020 | — | |
Tokelau | Oceania | 347 | 2022 | — | — | ||
North Korea | Asia | 295 | 2022 | 135 | 2021 | — | |
East Timor | Asia | 273 | 2021 | 616 | 2021 | 17 | [n 18] 2020 |
Belize | Americas | 286 | 2022 | 316 | 2021 | 289 | 2020 |
Bermuda | Americas | 224 | 2021 | 8 | 2021 | 10 | 2020 |
Vanuatu | Oceania | 223 | 2022 | 53 | 2021 | 46 | 2020 |
Nauru | Oceania | 222 | 2022 | 120 | 2021 | 11 | 2018 |
Guinea-Bissau | Africa | 222 | 2022 | 308 | 2021 | 213 | 2020 |
Liberia | Africa | 203 | 2022 | 760 | 2021 | 542 | 2019 |
Micronesia | Oceania | 201 | 2022 | 71 | 2021 | 88 | 2014 |
Burundi | Africa | 189 | 2022 | 103 | 2021 | 180 | 2018 |
Gambia | Africa | 184 | 2022 | 33 | 2021 | 31 | 2021 |
United States Minor Outlying Islands | Oceania | 181 | 2022 | — | — | ||
Maldives | Asia | 151 | 2021 | 285 | 2021 | 257 | 2020 |
French Polynesia | Oceania | 146 | 2022 | 119 | 2021 | 177 | 2016 |
Somalia | Africa | 124 | 2022 | — | — | ||
Kiribati | Oceania | 124 | 2022 | 10 | 2021 | 9 | 2020 |
Central African Republic | Africa | 118 | 2022 | 162 | 2021 | 145 | 1994 |
Palestine | Asia | 115 | 2022 | — | 1,715 | [n 19] 2020 | |
Aruba | Americas | 105 | 2022 | 151 | 2021 | 89 | 2018 |
Tuvalu | Oceania | 80 | 2022 | — | 0.50 | 2019 | |
Saint Kitts and Nevis | Americas | 66 | 2021 | 67 | 2021 | 28 | 2020 |
Comoros | Africa | 62 | 2022 | 38 | 2021 | 22 | 2020 |
Saint Lucia | Americas | 62 | 2022 | — | 60 | 2020 | |
Samoa | Oceania | 54 | 2022 | 29 | 2021 | 38 | 2020 |
Turks and Caicos Islands | Americas | 50 | 2022 | 4 | 2021 | 5 | 2018 |
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Americas | 44 | 2022 | 67 | 2021 | 58 | 2020 |
Cape Verde | Africa | 42 | 2022 | 54 | 2021 | 123 | [n 20] 2020 |
Saint Helena | Africa | 42 | 2022 | 76 | 2021 | — | |
Grenada | Americas | 37 | 2022 | 35 | 2021 | 28 | 2020 |
Cook Islands | Oceania | 36 | 2022 | 22 | 2021 | — | |
Dominica | Americas | 26 | 2022 | 19 | 2021 | 15 | 2020 |
French Southern and Antarctic Lands | Africa | 24 | 2022 | — | — | ||
São Tomé and Príncipe | Africa | 23 | 2022 | 19 | 2021 | 13 | 2020 |
Antigua and Barbuda | Americas | 22 | 2022 | 19 | 2021 | 34 | 2020 |
Christmas Island | Oceania | 16 | 2022 | — | — | ||
Tonga | Oceania | 13 | 2022 | 22 | 2021 | 17 | 2020 |
Anguilla | Americas | 13 | 2022 | 14 | 2021 | — | |
Sint Maarten | Americas | 11 | 2022 | 139 | 2021 | 134 | 2020 |
Saint Pierre and Miquelon | Americas | 9 | 2022 | 4 | 2021 | — | |
Palau | Oceania | 8 | 2022 | 3 | 2021 | 9 | 2017 |
Niue | Oceania | 7 | 2022 | 1 | 2021 | — | |
Montserrat | Americas | 7 | 2021 | 14 | 2021 | — | |
Caribbean Netherlands | Americas | 6 | 2022 | 1 | 2021 | — | |
Pitcairn Islands | Oceania | 6 | 2021 | — | — | ||
British Indian Ocean Territory | Africa | 6 | 2022 | — | — | ||
Northern Mariana Islands | Oceania | 3 | 2022 | — | — | ||
Cocos (Keeling) Islands | Oceania | 3 | 2022 | — | — | ||
Norfolk Island | Oceania | 2 | 2022 | — | — | ||
Wallis and Futuna | Oceania | 0.5 | 2022 | — | — | ||
Western Sahara | Africa | 0.4 | 2022 | — | — | ||
Kosovo | Europe | — | — | 980 | 2022 | ||
American Samoa | Oceania | — | 412 | 2021 | — | ||
Guam | Oceania | — | 44 | 2021 | — | ||
Northern Mariana Islands | Oceania | — | 6 | 2021 | — |
The economy of Hong Kong is a highly developed free-market economy. It is characterised by low taxation, almost free port trade and a well-established international financial market. Its currency, called the Hong Kong dollar, is legally issued by three major international commercial banks, and is pegged to the US dollar. Interest rates are determined by the individual banks in Hong Kong to ensure that they are market driven. There is no officially recognised central banking system, although the Hong Kong Monetary Authority functions as a financial regulatory authority.
Under the Basic Law, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is exclusively in charge of its internal affairs, whilst the central government of China is responsible for its foreign affairs and defence. As a separate customs territory, Hong Kong maintains and develops relations with foreign states and regions, and plays an active role in such international organisations as World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in its own right under the name of Hong Kong, China. Hong Kong participates in 16 projects of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Macau or Macao is a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China. With a population of about 710,000 people and a land area of 32.9 km2 (12.7 sq mi), it is the most densely populated region in the world.
The economy of Macau is a highly developed market economy. Macau's economy has remained one of the most open in the world since its handover to China in 1999. Apparel exports and gambling-related tourism are mainstays of the economy. Since Macau has little arable land and few natural resources, it depends on mainland China for most of its food, fresh water, and energy imports. Japan and Hong Kong are the main suppliers of raw materials and capital goods. Although Macau was hit hard by the 1997–98 Asian financial crisis and the early 2000s recession, its economy grew approximately 13.1% annually on average between 2001 and 2006. Macau is a full Member of the World Trade Organization. Public security has greatly improved after handover to the People's Republic of China. With the tax revenue from the profitable gambling industry, the Macau government is able to introduce the social welfare program of 15 years of free education to all Macau citizens. In 2015, Macau's economy saw a sharp decrease due to the reduced spending by visitors from Mainland China since the Anti-corruption campaign under Xi Jinping.
The special administrative regions (SAR) of the People's Republic of China are one of four types of province-level divisions of the People's Republic of China directly under the control of its Central People's Government, being integral areas of the country. As a region, they possess the highest degree of autonomy from China's central government. However, despite the relative autonomy that the Central People's Government offers the special administrative regions, the National People's Congress and its Standing Committee remains capable of enforcing laws for the special administrative regions.
Non-tariff barriers to trade are trade barriers that restrict imports or exports of goods or services through mechanisms other than the simple imposition of tariffs. Such barriers are subject to controversy and debate, as they may comply with international rules on trade yet serve protectionist purposes.
Under the Basic Law, Macau's diplomatic relations and defence are the responsibility of the central government of China. Except diplomatic relations and defence, nonetheless, Macau has retained considerable autonomy in all aspects, including economic and commercial relations, customs control.
As of May 2024, there are 70 diplomatic missions in Hong Kong, of which 62 are consulates-general and 8 are officially recognised bodies in Hong Kong. As Hong Kong has the status of a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, some consuls-general in Hong Kong report directly to their respective foreign ministries, rather than to their Embassies in Beijing.