Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies within region in South Asia
South Asia: Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies within region was 6.0% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies within region in South Asia, 1960–2023
Source: Staff estimates, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of total merchandise exports.
Analysis
In 2023, merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies within region in South Asia stood at 6.0%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 15.1% on the previous year and up 7.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies within region in South Asia peaked at 10.2% in 1973 and was at its lowest, 3.9%, in 1989.
South Asia ranks 38th of 46 groups on this measure, in the bottom 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 South Asia, year by year
| Year | % of total merchandise exports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 5.6% | — |
| 1961 | 5.1% | -8.6% |
| 1962 | 5.4% | +4.3% |
| 1963 | 4.8% | -9.6% |
| 1964 | 6.5% | +34.2% |
| 1965 | 6.1% | -6.8% |
| 1966 | 5.7% | -5.9% |
| 1967 | 4.2% | -27.1% |
| 1968 | 4.7% | +13.0% |
| 1969 | 5.7% | +20.4% |
| 1970 | 5.5% | -1.9% |
| 1971 | 5.6% | +0.7% |
| 1972 | 8.1% | +44.2% |
| 1973 | 10.2% | +26.8% |
| 1974 | 5.4% | -47.3% |
| 1975 | 5.8% | +7.6% |
| 1976 | 4.8% | -16.6% |
| 1977 | 5.5% | +14.0% |
| 1978 | 6.1% | +11.7% |
| 1979 | 5.8% | -6.4% |
| 1980 | 5.8% | +0.6% |
| 1981 | 6.6% | +13.5% |
| 1982 | 5.3% | -19.3% |
| 1983 | 5.1% | -3.4% |
| 1984 | 6.4% | +25.7% |
| 1985 | 5.6% | -12.7% |
| 1986 | 5.1% | -9.9% |
| 1987 | 4.2% | -16.5% |
| 1988 | 4.4% | +4.1% |
| 1989 | 3.9% | -11.2% |
| 1990 | 4.2% | +7.3% |
| 1991 | 4.4% | +4.4% |
| 1992 | 4.1% | -5.3% |
| 1993 | 4.1% | -2.0% |
| 1994 | 4.2% | +4.4% |
| 1995 | 5.1% | +20.5% |
| 1996 | 5.1% | -0.5% |
| 1997 | 4.7% | -8.2% |
| 1998 | 4.9% | +5.3% |
| 1999 | 4.3% | -12.9% |
| 2000 | 4.7% | +10.2% |
| 2001 | 5.2% | +10.3% |
| 2002 | 5.6% | +8.3% |
| 2003 | 6.6% | +18.3% |
| 2004 | 6.3% | -5.1% |
| 2005 | 6.2% | -1.6% |
| 2006 | 5.8% | -6.3% |
| 2007 | 6.4% | +9.2% |
| 2008 | 5.7% | -10.7% |
| 2009 | 5.2% | -8.6% |
| 2010 | 5.4% | +4.6% |
| 2011 | 5.0% | -7.8% |
| 2012 | 5.4% | +8.4% |
| 2013 | 5.6% | +3.8% |
| 2014 | 6.6% | +16.7% |
| 2015 | 6.8% | +3.5% |
| 2016 | 6.6% | -3.0% |
| 2017 | 6.9% | +4.7% |
| 2018 | 7.7% | +12.1% |
| 2019 | 7.1% | -8.3% |
| 2020 | 7.0% | -1.6% |
| 2021 | 8.0% | +14.6% |
| 2022 | 7.1% | -11.3% |
| 2023 | 6.0% | -15.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5.4% | 4.2% | 6.5% | 10 |
| 1970s | 6.3% | 4.8% | 10.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 5.2% | 3.9% | 6.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.5% | 4.1% | 5.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.8% | 4.7% | 6.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.3% | 5.0% | 7.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.0% | 6.0% | 8.0% | 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 within region in South Asia?
- Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies within region in South Asia was 6.0% 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 South Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 10.2% in 1973.
- What is the lowest merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies within region recorded in South Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.9% in 1989.
- How does South Asia rank for merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies within region?
- South Asia ranks 38th out of 46 groups with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies within region rising or falling in South Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.0%. 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 within 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 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.