Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies within region in Least developed countries
Least developed countries: Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies within region was 20.6% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies within region in Least developed countries, 1960–2023
Source: Staff estimates, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of total merchandise exports.
Analysis
The most recent figure for merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies within region in Least developed countries is 20.6%, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of up 14.5% on the previous year and up 16.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies within region in Least developed countries peaked at 23.2% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 6.4%, in 1990.
Least developed countries ranks 10th of 46 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies within region in Least developed countries, year by year
| Year | % of total merchandise exports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 9.6% | — |
| 1961 | 10.3% | +7.4% |
| 1962 | 9.7% | -5.2% |
| 1963 | 10.4% | +6.6% |
| 1964 | 10.6% | +2.0% |
| 1965 | 11.0% | +3.7% |
| 1966 | 8.3% | -24.3% |
| 1967 | 9.0% | +9.0% |
| 1968 | 9.5% | +5.6% |
| 1969 | 10.7% | +12.5% |
| 1970 | 11.4% | +6.6% |
| 1971 | 10.2% | -11.1% |
| 1972 | 13.8% | +35.9% |
| 1973 | 14.6% | +5.6% |
| 1974 | 14.3% | -2.4% |
| 1975 | 9.6% | -32.6% |
| 1976 | 7.2% | -25.3% |
| 1977 | 7.4% | +2.8% |
| 1978 | 9.6% | +29.6% |
| 1979 | 10.0% | +4.4% |
| 1980 | 11.2% | +12.1% |
| 1981 | 10.3% | -8.1% |
| 1982 | 9.5% | -7.5% |
| 1983 | 7.1% | -25.1% |
| 1984 | 7.6% | +6.8% |
| 1985 | 7.2% | -5.3% |
| 1986 | 7.6% | +5.4% |
| 1987 | 8.5% | +12.4% |
| 1988 | 6.4% | -24.8% |
| 1989 | 6.6% | +2.2% |
| 1990 | 6.4% | -3.0% |
| 1991 | 7.7% | +20.6% |
| 1992 | 8.6% | +11.8% |
| 1993 | 9.4% | +9.4% |
| 1994 | 10.7% | +13.8% |
| 1995 | 10.3% | -3.8% |
| 1996 | 9.9% | -4.5% |
| 1997 | 8.4% | -14.6% |
| 1998 | 9.8% | +17.1% |
| 1999 | 9.9% | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 14.0% | +41.9% |
| 2001 | 14.5% | +3.9% |
| 2002 | 15.4% | +5.7% |
| 2003 | 17.0% | +10.8% |
| 2004 | 19.7% | +15.8% |
| 2005 | 16.9% | -14.1% |
| 2006 | 14.9% | -12.2% |
| 2007 | 15.3% | +2.9% |
| 2008 | 14.5% | -5.3% |
| 2009 | 16.7% | +15.2% |
| 2010 | 16.8% | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 17.0% | +1.2% |
| 2012 | 16.3% | -4.1% |
| 2013 | 17.8% | +9.3% |
| 2014 | 19.9% | +11.9% |
| 2015 | 23.2% | +16.3% |
| 2016 | 22.2% | -4.2% |
| 2017 | 21.4% | -3.4% |
| 2018 | 22.1% | +3.1% |
| 2019 | 21.9% | -0.9% |
| 2020 | 22.3% | +1.7% |
| 2021 | 22.1% | -0.8% |
| 2022 | 18.0% | -18.5% |
| 2023 | 20.6% | +14.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 9.9% | 8.3% | 11.0% | 10 |
| 1970s | 10.8% | 7.2% | 14.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 8.2% | 6.4% | 11.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 9.1% | 6.4% | 10.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 15.9% | 14.0% | 19.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 19.8% | 16.3% | 23.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 20.8% | 18.0% | 22.3% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Least developed countries
- 7 Micronesia, Federated States of 75.3% compare
- 8 Korea, Democratic People's Republic of 74.2% compare
- 9 Nepal 70.5% compare
- 10 Afghanistan 69.9% compare
- 11 Paraguay 66.0% compare
- 12 Hong Kong, China 63.9% compare
- 13 Georgia 62.0% compare
More private sector data for Least developed countries
- Merchandise trade 41.4% (2025)
- Food imports 15.6% (2019)
- Manufactures imports 62.6% (2019)
- Merchandise imports 376.94 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 15.1% (2023)
- Manufactures exports 20.1% (2023)
- Merchandise exports 311.48 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 256.54 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1884 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 10.88 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies within region in Least developed countries?
- Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies within region in Least developed countries was 20.6% in 2023, according to Staff estimates, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies within region recorded in Least developed countries?
- The highest recorded value was 23.2% in 2015.
- What is the lowest merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies within region recorded in Least developed countries?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.4% in 1990.
- How does Least developed countries rank for merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies within region?
- Least developed countries ranks 10th out of 46 groups with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies within region rising or falling in Least developed countries?
- Over the last ten years it is up 16.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Least developed countries data come from?
- The figures come from Staff estimates, World Bank (WB), published as part of Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies within 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 within region are the sum of merchandise exports from the reporting economy to other low- and middle-income economies in the same World Bank region 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. No figures are shown for high-income economies, because they are a separate category in the World Bank classification of economies.