Commercial service imports in Benin
Benin: Commercial service imports was 1.54 billion current US$ in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Commercial service imports in Benin, 1974–2023
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in current US$.
Analysis
The most recent figure for commercial service imports in Benin is 1.54 billion current US$, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 50 years on record.
That represents a change of up 64.2% on the previous year and up 102.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, commercial service imports in Benin peaked at 1.54 billion current US$ in 2023 and was at its lowest, 35.90 million current US$, in 1974.
That places Benin 133rd out of 200 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Commercial service imports in Benin, year by year
| Year | current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | 35.90 million current US$ | — |
| 1975 | 52.61 million current US$ | +46.6% |
| 1976 | 55.12 million current US$ | +4.8% |
| 1977 | 65.57 million current US$ | +19.0% |
| 1978 | 75.54 million current US$ | +15.2% |
| 1979 | 86.04 million current US$ | +13.9% |
| 1980 | 97.36 million current US$ | +13.2% |
| 1981 | 132.55 million current US$ | +36.1% |
| 1982 | 123.72 million current US$ | -6.7% |
| 1983 | 82.69 million current US$ | -33.2% |
| 1984 | 83.43 million current US$ | +0.9% |
| 1985 | 102.39 million current US$ | +22.7% |
| 1986 | 107.71 million current US$ | +5.2% |
| 1987 | 126.11 million current US$ | +17.1% |
| 1988 | 110.82 million current US$ | -12.1% |
| 1989 | 103.51 million current US$ | -6.6% |
| 1990 | 113.41 million current US$ | +9.6% |
| 1991 | 169.36 million current US$ | +49.3% |
| 1992 | 156.73 million current US$ | -7.5% |
| 1993 | 149.25 million current US$ | -4.8% |
| 1994 | 155.47 million current US$ | +4.2% |
| 1995 | 235.18 million current US$ | +51.3% |
| 1996 | 185.83 million current US$ | -21.0% |
| 1997 | 170.09 million current US$ | -8.5% |
| 1998 | 191.59 million current US$ | +12.6% |
| 1999 | 215.92 million current US$ | +12.7% |
| 2000 | 188.11 million current US$ | -12.9% |
| 2001 | 185.96 million current US$ | -1.1% |
| 2002 | 204.94 million current US$ | +10.2% |
| 2003 | 244.57 million current US$ | +19.3% |
| 2004 | 276.23 million current US$ | +12.9% |
| 2005 | 269.40 million current US$ | -2.5% |
| 2006 | 346.27 million current US$ | +28.5% |
| 2007 | 491.90 million current US$ | +42.1% |
| 2008 | 502.03 million current US$ | +2.1% |
| 2009 | 490.14 million current US$ | -2.4% |
| 2010 | 503.37 million current US$ | +2.7% |
| 2011 | 497.17 million current US$ | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 575.02 million current US$ | +15.7% |
| 2013 | 761.06 million current US$ | +32.4% |
| 2014 | 884.93 million current US$ | +16.3% |
| 2015 | 570.18 million current US$ | -35.6% |
| 2016 | 761.42 million current US$ | +33.5% |
| 2017 | 688.15 million current US$ | -9.6% |
| 2018 | 762.15 million current US$ | +10.8% |
| 2019 | 802.80 million current US$ | +5.3% |
| 2020 | 787.26 million current US$ | -1.9% |
| 2021 | 928.53 million current US$ | +17.9% |
| 2022 | 936.19 million current US$ | +0.8% |
| 2023 | 1.54 billion current US$ | +64.2% |
Benin compared with similar countries
- Benin's 1.54 billion current US$ is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 2.37 billion current US$, 65% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Benin's 1.54 billion current US$ is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.39 billion current US$, 1.1× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 61.80 million current US$ | 35.90 million current US$ | 86.04 million current US$ | 6 |
| 1980s | 107.03 million current US$ | 82.69 million current US$ | 132.55 million current US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 174.28 million current US$ | 113.41 million current US$ | 235.18 million current US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 319.96 million current US$ | 185.96 million current US$ | 502.03 million current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 680.63 million current US$ | 497.17 million current US$ | 884.93 million current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.05 billion current US$ | 787.26 million current US$ | 1.54 billion current US$ | 4 |
Countries ranked near Benin
More private sector data for Benin
- Merchandise trade 36.4% (2025)
- Food imports 33.3% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 50.1% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 4.95 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 39.7% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 7.4% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 3.99 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 269.2 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1623 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate -0.8946 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is commercial service imports in Benin?
- Commercial service imports in Benin was 1.54 billion current US$ in 2023, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest commercial service imports recorded in Benin?
- The highest recorded value was 1.54 billion current US$ in 2023.
- What is the lowest commercial service imports recorded in Benin?
- The lowest recorded value was 35.90 million current US$ in 1974.
- How does Benin rank for commercial service imports?
- Benin ranks 133rd out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
- Is commercial service imports rising or falling in Benin?
- Over the last ten years it is up 102.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Benin data come from?
- The figures come from Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Commercial service imports (current US$). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 50 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Commercial service imports are total service imports minus imports of government services not included elsewhere. Imports of services are services provided by non-residents to residents. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This indicator is expressed in United States dollars.