Libya vs Sub-Saharan Africa: Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside

Libya
48.4%
in 2023
Sub-Saharan Africa
36.3%
in 2023
Libya rank
14th
Sub-Saharan Africa rank
12th

Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside over time

  • Libya
  • Sub-Saharan Africa
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How they compare

Libya currently reports 48.4% against 36.3% in Sub-Saharan Africa, a difference of 12.1%.

That makes Libya's figure about 1.3 times Sub-Saharan Africa's.

The two have swapped places 7 times across 64 shared years of data; in 1960 it was Sub-Saharan Africa ahead.

Libya ranks 14th and Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 12th of 206 countries.

Across the 7 decades both report, Libya averaged higher in 3 and Sub-Saharan Africa in 4.

Head to head by decade

Decade Libya Sub-Saharan Africa Difference Ahead
1960s 3.6% 8.0% 4.4% Sub-Saharan Africa
1970s 5.5% 8.5% 3.1% Sub-Saharan Africa
1980s 5.3% 8.9% 3.6% Sub-Saharan Africa
1990s 10.4% 12.0% 1.6% Sub-Saharan Africa
2000s 31.6% 23.3% 8.3% Libya
2010s 35.4% 32.5% 2.9% Libya
2020s 43.3% 37.5% 5.8% Libya

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside, Libya or Sub-Saharan Africa?
Libya, at 48.4% against 36.3% in Sub-Saharan Africa as of 2023.
What is the difference in merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside between Libya and Sub-Saharan Africa?
12.1%, with Libya ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Libya and Sub-Saharan Africa?
64 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2023.
How do Libya and Sub-Saharan Africa rank globally for merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside?
Libya ranks 14th and Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 12th of 206 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Staff estimates, World Bank (WB), published as Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside region (% of total merchandise imports). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Libya vs Sub-Saharan Africa: Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside. Statizoid, drawing on Staff estimates, World Bank (WB). Retrieved 18 September 2026, from https://private-sector.statizoid.com/compare/merchandise-imports-from-low-and-middle-income-economies-outside-region-percent-of-total/libya/sub-saharan-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside region (% of total merchandise imports)
Unit
% of total merchandise imports
Source
Staff estimates, World Bank (WB)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
253 places, 13,303 data points, 1960–2023
Last refreshed

Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside region are the sum of merchandise imports by the reporting economy from other low- and middle-income economies in other World Bank regions according to the World Bank classification of economies. Data are expressed as a percentage of total merchandise imports by the economy. Data are computed only if at least half of the economies in the partner country group had non-missing data.