Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region in Kuwait
Kuwait: Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region was 39.5% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region in Kuwait, 1973–2023
Source: Staff estimates, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of total merchandise exports.
Analysis
In 2023, merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region in Kuwait stood at 39.5%.
The figure is up 4.8% on the previous year and down 0.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region in Kuwait peaked at 46.6% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 9.6%, in 1979.
That places Kuwait 30th out of 206 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 51 years of available data.
Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region in Kuwait, year by year
| Year | % of total merchandise exports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 11.1% | — |
| 1974 | 9.9% | -10.7% |
| 1975 | 14.0% | +40.7% |
| 1976 | 15.2% | +8.8% |
| 1977 | 12.3% | -19.0% |
| 1978 | 9.8% | -20.2% |
| 1979 | 9.6% | -1.9% |
| 1980 | 12.8% | +33.2% |
| 1981 | 12.7% | -0.9% |
| 1982 | 17.0% | +33.6% |
| 1983 | 14.7% | -13.7% |
| 1984 | 15.4% | +5.0% |
| 1985 | 14.4% | -6.6% |
| 1986 | 15.5% | +8.1% |
| 1987 | 17.4% | +12.1% |
| 1988 | 17.8% | +2.1% |
| 1989 | 20.5% | +15.2% |
| 1990 | 19.5% | -5.0% |
| 1991 | 28.3% | +45.6% |
| 1992 | 29.5% | +4.0% |
| 1993 | 21.6% | -26.8% |
| 1994 | 26.7% | +23.6% |
| 1995 | 38.1% | +42.9% |
| 1996 | 29.0% | -23.9% |
| 1997 | 28.9% | -0.3% |
| 1998 | 29.0% | +0.2% |
| 1999 | 30.7% | +6.1% |
| 2000 | 43.9% | +43.0% |
| 2001 | 39.7% | -9.7% |
| 2002 | 39.7% | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 39.7% | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 39.7% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 39.7% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 39.7% | -0.0% |
| 2007 | 39.7% | -0.0% |
| 2008 | 39.6% | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 39.7% | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 39.7% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 39.7% | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 39.7% | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 39.7% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 39.7% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 42.0% | +5.7% |
| 2016 | 38.2% | -8.9% |
| 2017 | 34.8% | -8.9% |
| 2018 | 46.6% | +34.0% |
| 2019 | 40.3% | -13.7% |
| 2020 | 38.3% | -4.9% |
| 2021 | 38.9% | +1.7% |
| 2022 | 37.7% | -3.1% |
| 2023 | 39.5% | +4.8% |
Kuwait compared with similar countries
- Kuwait's 39.5% is above the median for high income countries, which is 9.2%, 4.3× the median. (74 countries reporting)
- Kuwait's 39.5% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 25.5%, 1.5× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 11.7% | 9.6% | 15.2% | 7 |
| 1980s | 15.8% | 12.7% | 20.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 28.1% | 19.5% | 38.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 40.1% | 39.6% | 43.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 40.0% | 34.8% | 46.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 38.6% | 37.7% | 39.5% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Kuwait
- 27 Peru 42.0% compare
- 28 Mozambique 41.6% compare
- 29 Saudi Arabia 40.5% compare
- 31 United States 38.9% compare
- 32 Oman 36.6% compare
- 33 Cameroon 35.9% compare
More private sector data for Kuwait
- Merchandise trade 72.3% (2025)
- Food imports 17.5% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 73.2% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 41.61 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 0.6% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 8.1% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 72.07 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 14,814 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.4585 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate -4.09 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region in Kuwait?
- Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region in Kuwait was 39.5% in 2023, according to Staff estimates, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region recorded in Kuwait?
- The highest recorded value was 46.6% in 2018.
- What is the lowest merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region recorded in Kuwait?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.6% in 1979.
- How does Kuwait rank for merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region?
- Kuwait ranks 30th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region rising or falling in Kuwait?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kuwait data come from?
- The figures come from Staff estimates, World Bank (WB), published as part of Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region (% 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 outside region are the sum of merchandise exports from the reporting economy to 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 exports by the economy. Data are computed only if at least half of the economies in the partner country group had non-missing data.