Merchandise imports in Benin
Benin: Merchandise imports was 4.95 billion current US$ in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Merchandise imports in Benin, 1960–2025
Source: World Trade Organization (WTO). Measured in current US$.
Analysis
In 2025, merchandise imports in Benin stood at 4.95 billion current US$.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.4% on the previous year and up 93.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise imports in Benin peaked at 5.25 billion current US$ in 2023 and was at its lowest, 25.00 million current US$, in 1961.
That places Benin 141st out of 206 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Merchandise imports in Benin, year by year
| Year | current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 31.00 million current US$ | — |
| 1961 | 25.00 million current US$ | -19.4% |
| 1962 | 27.00 million current US$ | +8.0% |
| 1963 | 33.00 million current US$ | +22.2% |
| 1964 | 31.00 million current US$ | -6.1% |
| 1965 | 34.00 million current US$ | +9.7% |
| 1966 | 33.00 million current US$ | -2.9% |
| 1967 | 48.00 million current US$ | +45.5% |
| 1968 | 50.00 million current US$ | +4.2% |
| 1969 | 55.00 million current US$ | +10.0% |
| 1970 | 64.00 million current US$ | +16.4% |
| 1971 | 77.00 million current US$ | +20.3% |
| 1972 | 92.00 million current US$ | +19.5% |
| 1973 | 112.00 million current US$ | +21.7% |
| 1974 | 147.00 million current US$ | +31.2% |
| 1975 | 188.00 million current US$ | +27.9% |
| 1976 | 219.00 million current US$ | +16.5% |
| 1977 | 268.00 million current US$ | +22.4% |
| 1978 | 311.00 million current US$ | +16.0% |
| 1979 | 320.00 million current US$ | +2.9% |
| 1980 | 331.00 million current US$ | +3.4% |
| 1981 | 543.00 million current US$ | +64.0% |
| 1982 | 464.00 million current US$ | -14.5% |
| 1983 | 318.00 million current US$ | -31.5% |
| 1984 | 288.00 million current US$ | -9.4% |
| 1985 | 331.00 million current US$ | +14.9% |
| 1986 | 387.00 million current US$ | +16.9% |
| 1987 | 349.00 million current US$ | -9.8% |
| 1988 | 568.00 million current US$ | +62.8% |
| 1989 | 421.00 million current US$ | -25.9% |
| 1990 | 265.00 million current US$ | -37.1% |
| 1991 | 241.00 million current US$ | -9.1% |
| 1992 | 578.00 million current US$ | +139.8% |
| 1993 | 571.00 million current US$ | -1.2% |
| 1994 | 431.00 million current US$ | -24.5% |
| 1995 | 746.00 million current US$ | +73.1% |
| 1996 | 654.00 million current US$ | -12.3% |
| 1997 | 681.00 million current US$ | +4.1% |
| 1998 | 736.00 million current US$ | +8.1% |
| 1999 | 749.00 million current US$ | +1.8% |
| 2000 | 613.00 million current US$ | -18.2% |
| 2001 | 623.00 million current US$ | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 725.00 million current US$ | +16.4% |
| 2003 | 892.00 million current US$ | +23.0% |
| 2004 | 894.00 million current US$ | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 1.02 billion current US$ | +13.9% |
| 2006 | 1.23 billion current US$ | +20.6% |
| 2007 | 2.04 billion current US$ | +65.9% |
| 2008 | 2.29 billion current US$ | +12.4% |
| 2009 | 2.06 billion current US$ | -9.8% |
| 2010 | 2.05 billion current US$ | -0.5% |
| 2011 | 2.13 billion current US$ | +3.7% |
| 2012 | 2.34 billion current US$ | +9.9% |
| 2013 | 3.01 billion current US$ | +28.7% |
| 2014 | 3.83 billion current US$ | +27.2% |
| 2015 | 2.56 billion current US$ | -33.1% |
| 2016 | 2.87 billion current US$ | +12.1% |
| 2017 | 3.49 billion current US$ | +21.7% |
| 2018 | 4.38 billion current US$ | +25.2% |
| 2019 | 3.93 billion current US$ | -10.1% |
| 2020 | 3.56 billion current US$ | -9.6% |
| 2021 | 4.51 billion current US$ | +26.8% |
| 2022 | 4.91 billion current US$ | +9.0% |
| 2023 | 5.25 billion current US$ | +6.9% |
| 2024 | 4.83 billion current US$ | -7.9% |
| 2025 | 4.95 billion current US$ | +2.4% |
Benin compared with similar countries
- Benin's 4.95 billion current US$ is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 11.14 billion current US$, 44% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Benin's 4.95 billion current US$ is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.46 billion current US$, 91% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Merchandise imports in Benin changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | +139.8% | 241.00 million current US$ | 578.00 million current US$ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 36.70 million current US$ | 25.00 million current US$ | 55.00 million current US$ | 10 |
| 1970s | 179.80 million current US$ | 64.00 million current US$ | 320.00 million current US$ | 10 |
| 1980s | 400.00 million current US$ | 288.00 million current US$ | 568.00 million current US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 565.20 million current US$ | 241.00 million current US$ | 749.00 million current US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.24 billion current US$ | 613.00 million current US$ | 2.29 billion current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.06 billion current US$ | 2.05 billion current US$ | 4.38 billion current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.67 billion current US$ | 3.56 billion current US$ | 5.25 billion current US$ | 6 |
Countries ranked near Benin
- 138 Madagascar 5.24 billion current US$ compare
- 139 Rwanda 5.07 billion current US$ compare
- 140 Montenegro 5.06 billion current US$ compare
- 142 Turkmenistan 4.76 billion current US$ compare
- 143 Yemen 4.65 billion current US$ compare
- 144 Haiti 4.63 billion current US$ compare
More private sector data for Benin
- Merchandise trade 36.4% (2025)
- Food imports 33.3% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 50.1% (2024)
- Food exports 39.7% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 7.4% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 3.99 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 269.2 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1623 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate -0.8946 % change on previous year (2025)
- Merchandise imports (current US$), per capita 334.2 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise imports in Benin?
- Merchandise imports in Benin was 4.95 billion current US$ in 2025, according to World Trade Organization (WTO).
- What is the highest merchandise imports recorded in Benin?
- The highest recorded value was 5.25 billion current US$ in 2023.
- What is the lowest merchandise imports recorded in Benin?
- The lowest recorded value was 25.00 million current US$ in 1961.
- How does Benin rank for merchandise imports?
- Benin ranks 141st out of 206 countries with data for 2025.
- Is merchandise imports rising or falling in Benin?
- Over the last ten years it is up 93.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Benin data come from?
- The figures come from World Trade Organization (WTO), published as part of Merchandise imports (current US$). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Merchandise imports includes goods whose economic ownership is changed from a non-resident to a resident and that are not included in the following specific categories: goods under merchanting, non-monetary gold, and parts of travel, construction, and government goods and services n.i.e. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This indicator is expressed in United States dollars.