Merchandise imports from economies in the Arab World in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan: Merchandise imports from economies in the Arab World was 13.8% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Merchandise imports from economies in the Arab World in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, 1960–2023
Source: Staff estimates, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of total merchandise imports.
Analysis
In 2023, merchandise imports from economies in the arab world in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan stood at 13.8%.
That represents a change of down 12.0% on the previous year and down 9.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise imports from economies in the arab world in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan peaked at 16.0% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 3.8%, in 1962.
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan ranks 8th of 47 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Merchandise imports from economies in the Arab World in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, year by year
| Year | % of total merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 5.3% | — |
| 1961 | 5.3% | +1.2% |
| 1962 | 3.8% | -29.3% |
| 1963 | 6.1% | +60.9% |
| 1964 | 6.6% | +8.8% |
| 1965 | 7.1% | +8.0% |
| 1966 | 6.3% | -12.3% |
| 1967 | 6.0% | -3.8% |
| 1968 | 6.5% | +7.6% |
| 1969 | 6.3% | -2.7% |
| 1970 | 7.2% | +14.7% |
| 1971 | 7.7% | +6.1% |
| 1972 | 8.6% | +12.5% |
| 1973 | 8.1% | -5.6% |
| 1974 | 9.8% | +20.5% |
| 1975 | 7.9% | -19.1% |
| 1976 | 8.9% | +11.7% |
| 1977 | 7.5% | -15.2% |
| 1978 | 5.8% | -23.5% |
| 1979 | 7.8% | +35.8% |
| 1980 | 9.4% | +20.8% |
| 1981 | 10.0% | +6.2% |
| 1982 | 7.7% | -23.3% |
| 1983 | 6.7% | -13.0% |
| 1984 | 7.8% | +16.8% |
| 1985 | 8.7% | +10.9% |
| 1986 | 7.5% | -13.0% |
| 1987 | 8.4% | +11.7% |
| 1988 | 8.0% | -4.6% |
| 1989 | 9.6% | +19.5% |
| 1990 | 9.3% | -2.6% |
| 1991 | 8.1% | -13.4% |
| 1992 | 8.1% | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 8.7% | +8.5% |
| 1994 | 9.2% | +5.5% |
| 1995 | 8.8% | -4.2% |
| 1996 | 9.2% | +4.2% |
| 1997 | 9.3% | +1.5% |
| 1998 | 8.3% | -10.9% |
| 1999 | 9.0% | +7.9% |
| 2000 | 10.1% | +12.7% |
| 2001 | 10.6% | +5.3% |
| 2002 | 11.1% | +4.6% |
| 2003 | 11.4% | +2.8% |
| 2004 | 13.0% | +13.6% |
| 2005 | 12.8% | -1.3% |
| 2006 | 14.1% | +9.7% |
| 2007 | 13.8% | -2.0% |
| 2008 | 14.7% | +6.7% |
| 2009 | 14.8% | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 16.0% | +8.1% |
| 2011 | 15.0% | -6.0% |
| 2012 | 14.6% | -3.1% |
| 2013 | 15.2% | +4.6% |
| 2014 | 14.3% | -5.9% |
| 2015 | 13.1% | -8.8% |
| 2016 | 13.6% | +3.8% |
| 2017 | 13.2% | -2.7% |
| 2018 | 13.7% | +4.1% |
| 2019 | 13.8% | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 13.4% | -2.8% |
| 2021 | 14.8% | +10.4% |
| 2022 | 15.7% | +6.3% |
| 2023 | 13.8% | -12.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5.9% | 3.8% | 7.1% | 10 |
| 1970s | 7.9% | 5.8% | 9.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 8.4% | 6.7% | 10.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 8.8% | 8.1% | 9.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 12.7% | 10.1% | 14.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.3% | 13.1% | 16.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.4% | 13.4% | 15.7% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
More private sector data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
- Merchandise trade 47.2% (2025)
- Food imports 11.7% (2023)
- Manufactures imports 60.4% (2023)
- Merchandise imports 1.70 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 4.1% (2023)
- Manufactures exports 23.8% (2023)
- Merchandise exports 1.79 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 2,163 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.3487 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 5.5 % change on previous year (2025)
All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan →
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise imports from economies in the arab world in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- Merchandise imports from economies in the arab world in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan was 13.8% in 2023, according to Staff estimates, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest merchandise imports from economies in the arab world recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 16.0% in 2010.
- What is the lowest merchandise imports from economies in the arab world recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.8% in 1962.
- How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan rank for merchandise imports from economies in the arab world?
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan ranks 8th out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise imports from economies in the arab world rising or falling in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan data come from?
- The figures come from Staff estimates, World Bank (WB), published as part of Merchandise imports from economies in the Arab World (% of total merchandise imports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Merchandise imports from economies in the Arab World are the sum of merchandise imports by the reporting economy from economies in the Arab World. Data are expressed as a percentage of total merchandise imports by the economy. Data are computed only if at least half of the economies in the partner country group had non-missing data.