Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in Middle in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in Middle was 5.8% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in Middle in Saudi Arabia, 1964–2023
Source: Staff estimates, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of total merchandise exports.
Analysis
Saudi Arabia recorded 5.8% for merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in middle in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 18.8% on the previous year and up 56.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in middle in Saudi Arabia peaked at 7.4% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 0.7%, in 1970.
That places Saudi Arabia 21st out of 204 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 60 years of available data.
Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in Middle in Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | % of total merchandise exports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1964 | 3.5% | — |
| 1965 | 3.4% | -1.2% |
| 1966 | 2.8% | -18.1% |
| 1967 | 3.1% | +9.1% |
| 1968 | 1.3% | -56.3% |
| 1969 | 0.8% | -41.7% |
| 1970 | 0.7% | -7.2% |
| 1971 | 0.8% | +7.9% |
| 1972 | 1.0% | +29.0% |
| 1973 | 1.4% | +42.4% |
| 1974 | 0.9% | -37.2% |
| 1975 | 1.2% | +35.8% |
| 1976 | 1.3% | +7.2% |
| 1977 | 1.6% | +21.5% |
| 1978 | 1.2% | -27.1% |
| 1979 | 1.3% | +11.2% |
| 1980 | 1.3% | -2.3% |
| 1981 | 2.1% | +69.4% |
| 1982 | 2.1% | -0.9% |
| 1983 | 3.0% | +42.2% |
| 1984 | 2.8% | -6.8% |
| 1985 | 3.2% | +13.0% |
| 1986 | 1.8% | -43.5% |
| 1987 | 1.4% | -22.0% |
| 1988 | 1.9% | +35.2% |
| 1989 | 1.9% | +1.5% |
| 1990 | 3.6% | +85.7% |
| 1991 | 3.0% | -16.4% |
| 1992 | 2.2% | -24.6% |
| 1993 | 2.4% | +8.0% |
| 1994 | 2.4% | -2.2% |
| 1995 | 2.6% | +11.3% |
| 1996 | 2.9% | +8.1% |
| 1997 | 3.2% | +11.2% |
| 1998 | 3.8% | +21.0% |
| 1999 | 3.5% | -10.2% |
| 2000 | 3.7% | +7.6% |
| 2001 | 3.7% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 3.7% | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 3.7% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 3.7% | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 3.7% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 3.7% | -0.0% |
| 2007 | 3.7% | -0.0% |
| 2008 | 3.7% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 3.7% | -0.0% |
| 2010 | 3.7% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 3.7% | -0.0% |
| 2012 | 3.7% | -0.2% |
| 2013 | 3.7% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 3.7% | -0.0% |
| 2015 | 3.7% | -0.0% |
| 2016 | 3.7% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 5.5% | +48.8% |
| 2018 | 4.4% | -20.7% |
| 2019 | 5.6% | +28.2% |
| 2020 | 6.4% | +15.3% |
| 2021 | 7.4% | +15.4% |
| 2022 | 7.1% | -4.2% |
| 2023 | 5.8% | -18.8% |
Saudi Arabia compared with similar countries
- Saudi Arabia's 5.8% is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.7%, 8.0× the median. (74 countries reporting)
- Saudi Arabia's 5.8% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 5.8%, 1.0× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in Middle in Saudi Arabia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | +85.7% | 1.9% | 3.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.5% | 0.8% | 3.5% | 6 |
| 1970s | 1.1% | 0.7% | 1.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.2% | 1.3% | 3.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.0% | 2.2% | 3.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.7% | 3.7% | 3.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.1% | 3.7% | 5.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.7% | 5.8% | 7.4% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
More private sector data for Saudi Arabia
- Merchandise trade 44.2% (2025)
- Food imports 13.0% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 70.5% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 254.06 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 1.9% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 15.9% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 310.67 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 8,403 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.2433 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 1.69 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in middle in Saudi Arabia?
- Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in middle in Saudi Arabia was 5.8% in 2023, according to Staff estimates, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in middle recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 7.4% in 2021.
- What is the lowest merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in middle recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.7% in 1970.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in middle?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 21st out of 204 countries with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in middle rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 56.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia data come from?
- The figures come from Staff estimates, World Bank (WB), published as part of Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in Middle East & North Africa (% of total merchandise exports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in Middle East and North Africa are the sum of merchandise exports from the reporting economy to low- and middle-income economies in the Middle East and North Africa region according to World Bank classification of economies. Data are as a percentage of total merchandise exports by the economy. Data are computed only if at least half of the economies in the partner country group had non-missing data.