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A landlocked nation in northwest Africa, Niger shipped US$2.13 billion worth of exported products around the world in 2025.

That dollar amount results from a 235.8% acceleration from $633 million 5 years earlier in 2021 and a 93.6% year-over-year spike compared to $1.1 billion during 2024.

Based on the average exchange rate for 2025, Niger uses the West African CFA franc which appreciated by 4.4% against the US dollar since 2021 but declined by -4.5% from 2024 to 2025. Niger’s weaker local currency compared to 2024 makes its exports paid for in stronger US dollars relatively less expensive for international buyers starting with American currency.

The 3 biggest exported products from Niger are crude oil, processed petroleum oils and unwrought gold. Combined, that trio of leading exported goods represent 95.8% of Niger’s overall export revenues. Such a high percentage indicates a very concentrated set of exported goods.

The latest available country-specific data shows that 98.3% of products exported from Niger was bought by importers in: Italy (40.4% of Niger’s total), Netherlands (29.6%), mainland China (7.7%), Singapore (4.2%), United Kingdom (4%), United Arab Emirates (3.3%), Germany (3.2%), Chad (2.3%), Nigeria (1.7%), Burkina Faso (1.1%), Algeria (0.39%) and Mali (0.38%).

From a continental perspective, 77.3% of Niger’s exports by value was delivered to Europe countries while 15.4% was sold to importers in Asia.

Niger shipped another 7.3% worth of goods to customers in fellow African countries, with just 0.003% going to the United States in North America.

Given Niger’s population of 29.1 million people, its total US$2.13 billion in 2025 exports translates to roughly $75 for every resident in the northwest African country. That dollar metric eclipses the average $36 per capita one year earlier during 2024.

Niger’s top 10 export categories accounted for 99% of the overall value of its global shipments.

Electrical machinery and equipment represent the fastest grower among the top 10 export categories, up by 134.3% from 2024 to 2025.

In second place for improving export sales was mineral fuels including oil via a 103.6% advance led by crude petroleum oil.

Niger’s shipments of live animals posted the third-fastest gain in value, up by 95.9%.

The leading decliner among Niger’s top 10 export categories was the vegetables grouping, thanks to a -85.9% year-over-year drop.

At the more detailed four-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level, Niger’s most valuable exported goods in 2025 were crude oil at 89% of its global total. In second place were processed petroleum oils (3.6%), unwrought gold (3.3%), live bovine cattle (0.7%), live sheep and goats (0.4%), hydraulic cements (0.3%), onion and shallots (0.3%), piston engine parts (also 0.3%), heavy machinery including bulldozers, excavators and road rollers (0.1%) then printed matter (also 0.1%).

Overall Niger incurred a US$6.8 million trade surplus for 2025, reversing -$180.1 million in red ink one year earlier in 2024.

The following types of Nigerien product shipments represent positive net exports or a trade balance surplus. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports.

In a nutshell, net exports represent the amount by which foreign spending on a home country’s goods or services exceeds or lags the home country’s spending on foreign goods or services.

Not one Nigerien corporation ranks among Forbes Global 2000.

Wikipedia lists export-related companies from Niger. Selected examples are shown below.

 
In macroeconomic terms, Niger’s total exported goods represent 3.5% of its overall Gross Domestic Product for 2025 ($61 billion valued in Purchasing Power Parity US dollars). That 3.5% for exports to overall GDP in PPP for 2025 surpasses the 1.8% for 2024. Those percentages suggest a relatively increasing reliance on products sold on international markets for Niger’s total economic performance, albeit based on relatively short timeframe.

Another key indicator of an economy’s health is its unemployment rate. Niger’s unemployment rate averaged 0.4% for 2025, mirroring the average 0.4% for 2024.

Niger’s capital city is Niamey.

See also France’s Top Trading Partners and Nigeria’s Top 10 Exports

Research Sources:
Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on September 26, 2026

International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Databases (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on September 26, 2026

International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on September 26, 2026

Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on September 26, 2026

Wikipedia, List of Companies of Niger. Accessed on September 26, 2026