Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region in South Asia
South Asia: Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region was 27.2% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region in South Asia, 1960–2023
Source: Staff estimates, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of total merchandise exports.
Analysis
South Asia recorded 27.2% for merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region in 2023.
The figure is down 1.7% on the previous year and down 4.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region in South Asia peaked at 29.3% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 6.9%, in 1989.
South Asia ranks 15th of 47 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region in South Asia, year by year
| Year | % of total merchandise exports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 16.1% | — |
| 1961 | 16.1% | -0.2% |
| 1962 | 16.1% | +0.2% |
| 1963 | 13.6% | -15.2% |
| 1964 | 14.1% | +3.8% |
| 1965 | 15.8% | +11.4% |
| 1966 | 15.2% | -3.5% |
| 1967 | 14.2% | -6.4% |
| 1968 | 14.7% | +3.0% |
| 1969 | 17.2% | +17.7% |
| 1970 | 19.8% | +15.0% |
| 1971 | 19.1% | -3.7% |
| 1972 | 16.3% | -14.7% |
| 1973 | 13.0% | -20.3% |
| 1974 | 21.6% | +66.0% |
| 1975 | 28.2% | +30.8% |
| 1976 | 20.0% | -29.0% |
| 1977 | 19.5% | -2.8% |
| 1978 | 19.9% | +2.2% |
| 1979 | 17.8% | -10.7% |
| 1980 | 19.6% | +10.1% |
| 1981 | 21.9% | +11.8% |
| 1982 | 16.2% | -25.7% |
| 1983 | 15.6% | -3.9% |
| 1984 | 14.8% | -5.0% |
| 1985 | 13.6% | -8.4% |
| 1986 | 10.3% | -24.3% |
| 1987 | 9.4% | -8.7% |
| 1988 | 9.7% | +3.7% |
| 1989 | 6.9% | -29.4% |
| 1990 | 10.5% | +53.2% |
| 1991 | 11.7% | +11.4% |
| 1992 | 12.9% | +10.0% |
| 1993 | 13.5% | +5.0% |
| 1994 | 11.9% | -12.4% |
| 1995 | 13.5% | +13.9% |
| 1996 | 15.0% | +11.3% |
| 1997 | 14.7% | -2.4% |
| 1998 | 13.3% | -9.4% |
| 1999 | 12.9% | -2.6% |
| 2000 | 14.5% | +11.7% |
| 2001 | 17.0% | +17.5% |
| 2002 | 19.1% | +12.2% |
| 2003 | 19.7% | +3.5% |
| 2004 | 21.3% | +8.2% |
| 2005 | 22.2% | +4.0% |
| 2006 | 24.0% | +8.2% |
| 2007 | 26.1% | +8.7% |
| 2008 | 25.3% | -2.9% |
| 2009 | 25.0% | -1.4% |
| 2010 | 27.8% | +11.2% |
| 2011 | 26.5% | -4.6% |
| 2012 | 27.3% | +3.0% |
| 2013 | 28.6% | +4.9% |
| 2014 | 29.3% | +2.2% |
| 2015 | 26.2% | -10.6% |
| 2016 | 24.9% | -4.6% |
| 2017 | 26.1% | +4.8% |
| 2018 | 27.0% | +3.3% |
| 2019 | 27.7% | +2.6% |
| 2020 | 29.0% | +4.7% |
| 2021 | 28.3% | -2.5% |
| 2022 | 27.7% | -2.1% |
| 2023 | 27.2% | -1.7% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region in South Asia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | +66.0% | 13.0% | 21.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 15.3% | 13.6% | 17.2% | 10 |
| 1970s | 19.5% | 13.0% | 28.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 13.8% | 6.9% | 21.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 13.0% | 10.5% | 15.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 21.4% | 14.5% | 26.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 27.1% | 24.9% | 29.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 28.1% | 27.2% | 29.0% | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Asia
More private sector data for South Asia
- Merchandise trade 30.0% (2025)
- Food imports 5.6% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 47.1% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 864.53 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 11.8% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 67.0% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 510.58 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 301.72 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1115 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 1.04 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region in South Asia?
- Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region in South Asia was 27.2% 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 South Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 29.3% in 2014.
- What is the lowest merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region recorded in South Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.9% in 1989.
- How does South Asia rank for merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region?
- South Asia ranks 15th out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies outside region rising or falling in South Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Asia 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.
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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.