Merchandise imports by the reporting economy in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Merchandise imports by the reporting economy was 210.68 billion current US$ in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
210.68 billion current US$
Change on year
up 14.8%
World rank
30th
of 206 countries
All-time high
210.68 billion current US$
in 2023
All-time low
280.20 million current US$
in 1964
Years of data
60
1964–2023
Merchandise imports by the reporting economy in Saudi Arabia, 1964–2023
Source: Staff estimates, World Bank (WB). Measured in current US$.
Analysis
Saudi Arabia recorded 210.68 billion current US$ 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 14.8% on the previous year and up 29.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise imports by the reporting economy in Saudi Arabia peaked at 210.68 billion current US$ in 2023 and was at its lowest, 280.20 million current US$, in 1964.
That places Saudi Arabia 30th out of 206 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Merchandise imports by the reporting economy in Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1964 | 280.20 million current US$ | — |
| 1965 | 347.60 million current US$ | +24.1% |
| 1966 | 427.20 million current US$ | +22.9% |
| 1967 | 470.00 million current US$ | +10.0% |
| 1968 | 549.30 million current US$ | +16.9% |
| 1969 | 713.30 million current US$ | +29.9% |
| 1970 | 681.90 million current US$ | -4.4% |
| 1971 | 781.30 million current US$ | +14.6% |
| 1972 | 1.09 billion current US$ | +40.0% |
| 1973 | 1.89 billion current US$ | +72.9% |
| 1974 | 2.73 billion current US$ | +44.3% |
| 1975 | 4.03 billion current US$ | +47.7% |
| 1976 | 8.35 billion current US$ | +107.1% |
| 1977 | 13.26 billion current US$ | +58.9% |
| 1978 | 19.51 billion current US$ | +47.1% |
| 1979 | 23.34 billion current US$ | +19.7% |
| 1980 | 29.21 billion current US$ | +25.1% |
| 1981 | 34.35 billion current US$ | +17.6% |
| 1982 | 39.68 billion current US$ | +15.5% |
| 1983 | 38.32 billion current US$ | -3.4% |
| 1984 | 32.86 billion current US$ | -14.2% |
| 1985 | 23.04 billion current US$ | -29.9% |
| 1986 | 18.57 billion current US$ | -19.4% |
| 1987 | 19.56 billion current US$ | +5.3% |
| 1988 | 21.07 billion current US$ | +7.7% |
| 1989 | 20.62 billion current US$ | -2.2% |
| 1990 | 23.46 billion current US$ | +13.8% |
| 1991 | 28.25 billion current US$ | +20.4% |
| 1992 | 32.44 billion current US$ | +14.8% |
| 1993 | 27.56 billion current US$ | -15.1% |
| 1994 | 22.79 billion current US$ | -17.3% |
| 1995 | 26.84 billion current US$ | +17.8% |
| 1996 | 27.10 billion current US$ | +0.9% |
| 1997 | 28.37 billion current US$ | +4.7% |
| 1998 | 29.89 billion current US$ | +5.4% |
| 1999 | 27.96 billion current US$ | -6.5% |
| 2000 | 30.14 billion current US$ | +7.8% |
| 2001 | 31.12 billion current US$ | +3.3% |
| 2002 | 32.02 billion current US$ | +2.9% |
| 2003 | 36.39 billion current US$ | +13.7% |
| 2004 | 44.09 billion current US$ | +21.2% |
| 2005 | 58.93 billion current US$ | +33.6% |
| 2006 | 67.19 billion current US$ | +14.0% |
| 2007 | 87.37 billion current US$ | +30.0% |
| 2008 | 111.72 billion current US$ | +27.9% |
| 2009 | 92.05 billion current US$ | -17.6% |
| 2010 | 103.25 billion current US$ | +12.2% |
| 2011 | 127.72 billion current US$ | +23.7% |
| 2012 | 150.92 billion current US$ | +18.2% |
| 2013 | 162.65 billion current US$ | +7.8% |
| 2014 | 167.94 billion current US$ | +3.3% |
| 2015 | 174.38 billion current US$ | +3.8% |
| 2016 | 139.96 billion current US$ | -19.7% |
| 2017 | 127.67 billion current US$ | -8.8% |
| 2018 | 126.24 billion current US$ | -1.1% |
| 2019 | 131.78 billion current US$ | +4.4% |
| 2020 | 131.09 billion current US$ | -0.5% |
| 2021 | 151.38 billion current US$ | +15.5% |
| 2022 | 183.50 billion current US$ | +21.2% |
| 2023 | 210.68 billion current US$ | +14.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 464.60 million current US$ | 280.20 million current US$ | 713.30 million current US$ | 6 |
| 1970s | 7.57 billion current US$ | 681.90 million current US$ | 23.34 billion current US$ | 10 |
| 1980s | 27.73 billion current US$ | 18.57 billion current US$ | 39.68 billion current US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 27.47 billion current US$ | 22.79 billion current US$ | 32.44 billion current US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 59.10 billion current US$ | 30.14 billion current US$ | 111.72 billion current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 141.25 billion current US$ | 103.25 billion current US$ | 174.38 billion current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 169.16 billion current US$ | 131.09 billion current US$ | 210.68 billion current US$ | 4 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
More private sector data for Saudi Arabia
- Merchandise trade 44.2% (2025)
- Food imports 13.0% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 70.5% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 254.06 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 1.9% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 15.9% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 310.67 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 8,403 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.2433 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 1.69 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise imports by the reporting economy in Saudi Arabia?
- Merchandise imports by the reporting economy in Saudi Arabia was 210.68 billion current US$ in 2023, according to Staff estimates, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest merchandise imports by the reporting economy recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 210.68 billion current US$ in 2023.
- What is the lowest merchandise imports by the reporting economy recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 280.20 million current US$ in 1964.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for merchandise imports by the reporting economy?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 30th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise imports by the reporting economy rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 29.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia 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.