Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in East in Least developed countries
Least developed countries: Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in East was 33.5% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in East in Least developed countries, 1960–2023
Source: Staff estimates, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of total merchandise imports.
Analysis
The most recent figure for merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in east in Least developed countries is 33.5%, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 64 years on record.
That represents a change of up 5.8% on the previous year and up 38.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in east in Least developed countries peaked at 33.5% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 2.9%, in 1970.
Least developed countries ranks 1st of 47 groups on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in East in Least developed countries, year by year
| Year | % of total merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 4.2% | — |
| 1961 | 4.0% | -3.8% |
| 1962 | 4.5% | +10.6% |
| 1963 | 4.7% | +4.4% |
| 1964 | 4.3% | -7.5% |
| 1965 | 5.0% | +16.9% |
| 1966 | 4.0% | -20.9% |
| 1967 | 4.5% | +13.8% |
| 1968 | 3.3% | -27.9% |
| 1969 | 3.3% | +0.4% |
| 1970 | 2.9% | -10.4% |
| 1971 | 4.8% | +62.2% |
| 1972 | 5.1% | +6.4% |
| 1973 | 5.3% | +5.2% |
| 1974 | 5.2% | -2.1% |
| 1975 | 4.1% | -22.2% |
| 1976 | 3.6% | -10.8% |
| 1977 | 4.2% | +15.6% |
| 1978 | 4.5% | +6.6% |
| 1979 | 5.2% | +17.3% |
| 1980 | 4.6% | -11.6% |
| 1981 | 5.1% | +10.8% |
| 1982 | 5.2% | +1.6% |
| 1983 | 4.3% | -17.4% |
| 1984 | 6.0% | +38.5% |
| 1985 | 5.5% | -8.7% |
| 1986 | 5.6% | +2.9% |
| 1987 | 6.0% | +7.7% |
| 1988 | 6.4% | +6.2% |
| 1989 | 6.8% | +5.7% |
| 1990 | 6.5% | -4.1% |
| 1991 | 7.3% | +12.7% |
| 1992 | 8.8% | +20.1% |
| 1993 | 10.3% | +17.6% |
| 1994 | 11.4% | +10.0% |
| 1995 | 12.3% | +8.4% |
| 1996 | 12.3% | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 12.5% | +1.5% |
| 1998 | 12.4% | -0.5% |
| 1999 | 13.8% | +11.0% |
| 2000 | 17.9% | +29.6% |
| 2001 | 17.5% | -2.4% |
| 2002 | 17.3% | -0.7% |
| 2003 | 16.4% | -5.3% |
| 2004 | 17.5% | +6.3% |
| 2005 | 18.2% | +4.3% |
| 2006 | 16.3% | -10.6% |
| 2007 | 19.2% | +18.1% |
| 2008 | 18.9% | -1.6% |
| 2009 | 20.8% | +9.9% |
| 2010 | 22.3% | +7.0% |
| 2011 | 23.7% | +6.7% |
| 2012 | 24.2% | +1.9% |
| 2013 | 24.2% | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 27.9% | +15.2% |
| 2015 | 29.7% | +6.6% |
| 2016 | 30.3% | +2.0% |
| 2017 | 29.8% | -1.8% |
| 2018 | 31.3% | +5.1% |
| 2019 | 32.4% | +3.5% |
| 2020 | 32.6% | +0.6% |
| 2021 | 32.3% | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 31.7% | -1.9% |
| 2023 | 33.5% | +5.8% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in East in Least developed countries 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | +62.2% | 2.9% | 4.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 4.2% | 3.3% | 5.0% | 10 |
| 1970s | 4.5% | 2.9% | 5.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 5.6% | 4.3% | 6.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 10.8% | 6.5% | 13.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 18.0% | 16.3% | 20.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 27.6% | 22.3% | 32.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 32.5% | 31.7% | 33.5% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Least developed countries
- 1 Korea, Democratic People's Republic of 97.1% compare
- 2 Lao People's Democratic Republic 81.9% compare
- 3 Cambodia 80.9% compare
- 4 Myanmar 61.3% compare
More private sector data for Least developed countries
- Merchandise trade 41.4% (2025)
- Food imports 15.6% (2019)
- Manufactures imports 62.6% (2019)
- Merchandise imports 376.94 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 15.1% (2023)
- Manufactures exports 20.1% (2023)
- Merchandise exports 311.48 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 256.54 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1884 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 10.88 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in east in Least developed countries?
- Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in east in Least developed countries was 33.5% in 2023, according to Staff estimates, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in east recorded in Least developed countries?
- The highest recorded value was 33.5% in 2023.
- What is the lowest merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in east recorded in Least developed countries?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.9% in 1970.
- How does Least developed countries rank for merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in east?
- Least developed countries ranks 1st out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in east rising or falling in Least developed countries?
- Over the last ten years it is up 38.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Least developed countries data come from?
- The figures come from Staff estimates, World Bank (WB), published as part of Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in East Asia & Pacific (% of total merchandise imports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in East Asia and Pacific are the sum of merchandise imports by the reporting economy from low- and middle-income economies in the East Asia and Pacific region according to the World Bank classification of economies. 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.