From 2019 to 2020, Oceanian exports declined in value by -6.6%.
In comparison, global exports from all countries equaled $17.142 trillion in 2020, rising 8.5% in value since 2016 but dropping -7.8% year. Putting that latest trade metrics into perspective, Oceanian exports represent an estimated 1.8% of all worldwide shipments.
Oceania is a geographic region comprised of many islands mostly sprinkled over the southern Pacific Ocean. Some people assume that Oceania is limited to Australia and New Zealand, but those are just two island nations that are admittedly top of mind when searching for internationally sold products.
Based on statistics from the International Monetary Fund’s World Economic Outlook Database, the total Gross Domestic Product for Oceanian countries (where statistics are available) equals $1.593 trillion for 2020. Therefore, exported goods represent 19.2% of Oceania’s total economic output for 2020 in Purchasing Power Parity dollars.
Given Oceania’s population of about 43.1 million people in 2021, its $306.6 billion worth of 2020 exports translates to roughly $7,300 for every person living in this South Pacific collection of islands.
Top Oceanian Export Countries
Below are the top Oceanian export countries that attained the highest dollar value in global shipments during 2020. Also shown is each country’s overall share of Oceanian exports and its change in value from 2016 to 2020.
| Rank | Exporter | Exports (US$) | %Total | 2019-20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Australia | $254,531,426,000 | 83% | -6.6% |
| 2. | New Zealand | $37,468,046,000 | 12.2% | -1.9% |
| 3. | Papua New Guinea | $9,927,722,000 | 3.2% | -15.8% |
| 4. | New Caledonia | $1,848,047,000 | 0.6% | +2.1% |
| 5. | Marshall Islands | $763,768,000 | 0.2% | -39% |
| 6. | Fiji | $621,097,000 | 0.2% | -39.9% |
| 7. | Solomon Islands | $543,348,000 | 0.2% | -23% |
| 8. | Vanuatu | $165,169,000 | 0.1% | -4.6% |
| 9. | Micronesia | $130,745,000 | 0.04% | -8.6% |
| 10. | Nauru | $110,230,000 | 0.04% | +220% |
| 11. | Kiribati | $96,858,000 | 0.03% | -1.5% |
| 12. | French Polynesia | $88,318,000 | 0.03% | -51.9% |
| 13. | Niue | $80,183,000 | 0.03% | +25% |
| 14. | Samoa | $54,744,000 | 0.02% | +11% |
| 15. | Tokelau | $43,594,000 | 0.01% | +104.6% |
| 16. | Cook Islands | $28,570,000 | 0.01% | -11.3% |
| 17. | Christmas Island | $15,494,000 | 0.01% | -12.7% |
| 18. | Palau | $15,382,000 | 0.01% | -33.1% |
| 19. | Tuvalu | $13,735,000 | 0.004% | -32.5% |
| 20. | Tonga | $11,122,000 | 0.004% | -31.4% |
| 21. | Northern Mariana Is | $8,025,000 | 0.003% | +64.2% |
| 22. | Cocos (Keeling) Is | $4,903,000 | 0.002% | +4.5% |
| 23. | Pitcairn | $3,075,000 | 0.001% | +46.8% |
| 24. | Norfolk Island | $2,352,000 | 0.001% | -17.2% |
| 25. | Wallis/Futuna Is | $1,681,000 | 0.001% | -18.9% |
| 26. | American Samoa | $1,284,000 | 0.0004% | -59.6% |
| 27. | Guam | $425,000 | 0.0001% | -40.1% |
Combined, the leading suppliers Australia and New Zealand account for 95.2% of the value for all goods originating from Oceania.
See also Australia’s Top 10 Exports, New Zealand’s Top 10 Exports, Australia’s Top 10 Imports and New Zealand’s Top 10 Imports
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports and World Population. Accessed on October 10, 2021
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on October 10, 2021
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on October 10, 2021
Wikipedia, Oceanian countries by population. Accessed on October 10, 2021
Worldometers, Oceanian population. Accessed on October 10, 2021
