Merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$) in Malawi
Malawi: Merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$) was 3.14 billion current US$ in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Merchandise imports by the reporting economy in Malawi, 1964–2023
Source: Staff estimates, World Bank (WB). Measured in current US$.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 3.14 billion current US$ for merchandise imports by the reporting economy in 2023. That is the highest value across all 60 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 98.1% on the previous year and up 10.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise imports by the reporting economy in Malawi peaked at 3.14 billion current US$ in 2023 and was at its lowest, 43.34 million current US$, in 1964.
That places Malawi 155th out of 206 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$) in Malawi, year by year
| Year | current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1964 | 43.34 million current US$ | — |
| 1965 | 59.86 million current US$ | +38.1% |
| 1966 | 73.04 million current US$ | +22.0% |
| 1967 | 73.37 million current US$ | +0.5% |
| 1968 | 63.47 million current US$ | -13.5% |
| 1969 | 67.41 million current US$ | +6.2% |
| 1970 | 79.33 million current US$ | +17.7% |
| 1971 | 108.29 million current US$ | +36.5% |
| 1972 | 128.60 million current US$ | +18.8% |
| 1973 | 141.28 million current US$ | +9.9% |
| 1974 | 179.81 million current US$ | +27.3% |
| 1975 | 238.85 million current US$ | +32.8% |
| 1976 | 199.74 million current US$ | -16.4% |
| 1977 | 228.02 million current US$ | +14.2% |
| 1978 | 328.79 million current US$ | +44.2% |
| 1979 | 384.59 million current US$ | +17.0% |
| 1980 | 418.28 million current US$ | +8.8% |
| 1981 | 326.14 million current US$ | -22.0% |
| 1982 | 273.62 million current US$ | -16.1% |
| 1983 | 294.71 million current US$ | +7.7% |
| 1984 | 252.90 million current US$ | -14.2% |
| 1985 | 279.51 million current US$ | +10.5% |
| 1986 | 244.65 million current US$ | -12.5% |
| 1987 | 237.43 million current US$ | -3.0% |
| 1988 | 431.89 million current US$ | +81.9% |
| 1989 | 527.95 million current US$ | +22.2% |
| 1990 | 584.04 million current US$ | +10.6% |
| 1991 | 573.58 million current US$ | -1.8% |
| 1992 | 672.66 million current US$ | +17.3% |
| 1993 | 452.13 million current US$ | -32.8% |
| 1994 | 520.72 million current US$ | +15.2% |
| 1995 | 498.55 million current US$ | -4.3% |
| 1996 | 566.80 million current US$ | +13.7% |
| 1997 | 611.04 million current US$ | +7.8% |
| 1998 | 555.95 million current US$ | -9.0% |
| 1999 | 628.18 million current US$ | +13.0% |
| 2000 | 532.01 million current US$ | -15.3% |
| 2001 | 550.39 million current US$ | +3.5% |
| 2002 | 699.98 million current US$ | +27.2% |
| 2003 | 792.77 million current US$ | +13.3% |
| 2004 | 928.51 million current US$ | +17.1% |
| 2005 | 1.18 billion current US$ | +27.1% |
| 2006 | 1.29 billion current US$ | +9.1% |
| 2007 | 1.38 billion current US$ | +7.4% |
| 2008 | 2.03 billion current US$ | +47.0% |
| 2009 | 2.10 billion current US$ | +3.4% |
| 2010 | 2.16 billion current US$ | +2.9% |
| 2011 | 2.42 billion current US$ | +12.0% |
| 2012 | 2.73 billion current US$ | +12.6% |
| 2013 | 2.84 billion current US$ | +4.0% |
| 2014 | 2.75 billion current US$ | -3.0% |
| 2015 | 2.27 billion current US$ | -17.3% |
| 2016 | 2.29 billion current US$ | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 2.50 billion current US$ | +9.3% |
| 2018 | 2.95 billion current US$ | +18.0% |
| 2019 | 2.94 billion current US$ | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 2.85 billion current US$ | -3.1% |
| 2021 | 3.08 billion current US$ | +7.9% |
| 2022 | 1.58 billion current US$ | -48.5% |
| 2023 | 3.14 billion current US$ | +98.1% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 3.14 billion current US$ is below the median for low income countries, which is 3.15 billion current US$, 100% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 3.14 billion current US$ is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4.61 billion current US$, 68% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$) in Malawi 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | +98.1% | 1.58 billion current US$ | 3.14 billion current US$ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 63.42 million current US$ | 43.34 million current US$ | 73.37 million current US$ | 6 |
| 1970s | 201.73 million current US$ | 79.33 million current US$ | 384.59 million current US$ | 10 |
| 1980s | 328.71 million current US$ | 237.43 million current US$ | 527.95 million current US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 566.36 million current US$ | 452.13 million current US$ | 672.66 million current US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.15 billion current US$ | 532.01 million current US$ | 2.10 billion current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.59 billion current US$ | 2.16 billion current US$ | 2.95 billion current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.66 billion current US$ | 1.58 billion current US$ | 3.14 billion current US$ | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
More private sector data for Malawi
- Merchandise trade 30.9% (2025)
- Food imports 11.8% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 68.1% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 3.66 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 90.2% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 8.0% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 947.00 million current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 42.63 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.0635 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate -1.15 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise imports by the reporting economy in Malawi?
- Merchandise imports by the reporting economy in Malawi was 3.14 billion current US$ in 2023, according to Staff estimates, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest merchandise imports by the reporting economy recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 3.14 billion current US$ in 2023.
- What is the lowest merchandise imports by the reporting economy recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 43.34 million current US$ in 1964.
- How does Malawi rank for merchandise imports by the reporting economy?
- Malawi ranks 155th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise imports by the reporting economy rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from Staff estimates, World Bank (WB), published as part of Merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 60 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Merchandise imports by the reporting economy are the total merchandise imports by the reporting economy from the rest of the world, as reported in the IMF's Direction of trade database. Data are in current U.S. dollars.