Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in East in Somalia
Somalia: Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in East was 33.6% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in East in Somalia, 1962–2023
Source: Staff estimates, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of total merchandise imports.
Analysis
In 2023, merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in east in Somalia stood at 33.6%. That is the highest value across all 60 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.0% on the previous year and up 127.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in east in Somalia peaked at 33.6% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 1.6%, in 1983.
Somalia ranks 30th of 206 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
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 Somalia, year by year
| Year | % of total merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | 5.6% | — |
| 1963 | 8.6% | +54.5% |
| 1964 | 11.8% | +36.6% |
| 1965 | 11.5% | -2.6% |
| 1967 | 3.0% | -74.1% |
| 1968 | 6.0% | +102.0% |
| 1969 | 3.6% | -40.4% |
| 1970 | 2.1% | -41.3% |
| 1971 | 10.6% | +405.7% |
| 1972 | 11.7% | +10.6% |
| 1973 | 25.2% | +114.3% |
| 1974 | 16.1% | -35.9% |
| 1975 | 17.6% | +9.4% |
| 1976 | 4.8% | -72.7% |
| 1977 | 13.0% | +170.6% |
| 1978 | 3.5% | -72.9% |
| 1980 | 3.1% | -10.8% |
| 1981 | 2.5% | -19.2% |
| 1982 | 5.7% | +123.0% |
| 1983 | 1.6% | -71.5% |
| 1984 | 3.7% | +129.1% |
| 1985 | 6.7% | +80.7% |
| 1986 | 4.5% | -32.8% |
| 1987 | 4.3% | -5.5% |
| 1988 | 10.9% | +156.3% |
| 1989 | 8.1% | -26.0% |
| 1990 | 8.4% | +4.0% |
| 1991 | 10.6% | +26.4% |
| 1992 | 9.8% | -8.0% |
| 1993 | 3.5% | -64.3% |
| 1994 | 4.4% | +27.5% |
| 1995 | 5.5% | +23.2% |
| 1996 | 1.9% | -64.6% |
| 1997 | 2.7% | +41.1% |
| 1998 | 4.6% | +67.6% |
| 1999 | 10.4% | +128.0% |
| 2000 | 15.4% | +47.0% |
| 2001 | 17.0% | +10.5% |
| 2002 | 10.3% | -39.6% |
| 2003 | 9.9% | -3.4% |
| 2004 | 9.5% | -4.5% |
| 2005 | 9.7% | +2.3% |
| 2006 | 9.1% | -6.0% |
| 2007 | 10.1% | +10.7% |
| 2008 | 10.5% | +3.8% |
| 2009 | 13.7% | +30.7% |
| 2010 | 9.0% | -34.1% |
| 2011 | 8.3% | -7.6% |
| 2012 | 8.6% | +3.8% |
| 2013 | 14.8% | +71.0% |
| 2014 | 21.0% | +42.0% |
| 2015 | 24.1% | +14.7% |
| 2016 | 27.7% | +15.2% |
| 2017 | 27.1% | -2.2% |
| 2018 | 32.5% | +19.9% |
| 2019 | 29.8% | -8.3% |
| 2020 | 32.2% | +8.0% |
| 2021 | 32.9% | +2.4% |
| 2022 | 33.0% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 33.6% | +2.0% |
Somalia compared with similar countries
- Somalia's 33.6% is above the median for low income countries, which is 21.8%, 1.5× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Somalia's 33.6% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 19.6%, 1.7× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in East in Somalia 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 | +405.7% | 2.1% | 10.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 7.1% | 3.0% | 11.8% | 7 |
| 1970s | 11.6% | 2.1% | 25.2% | 9 |
| 1980s | 5.1% | 1.6% | 10.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.2% | 1.9% | 10.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.5% | 9.1% | 17.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 20.3% | 8.3% | 32.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 32.9% | 32.2% | 33.6% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Somalia
- 27 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 34.3% compare
- 28 Malaysia 34.2% compare
- 29 Macau, China 33.9% compare
- 31 Korea 32.9% compare
- 32 Uzbekistan 32.6% compare
- 33 New Zealand 32.4% compare
More private sector data for Somalia
- Merchandise trade 40.2% (2025)
- Food imports 22.4% (1982)
- Manufactures imports 54.7% (1982)
- Merchandise imports 3.93 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 93.7% (1982)
- Manufactures exports 1.3% (1982)
- Merchandise exports 1.30 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 66.14 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate -11.74 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in east in Somalia?
- Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in east in Somalia was 33.6% 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 Somalia?
- The highest recorded value was 33.6% in 2023.
- What is the lowest merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in east recorded in Somalia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.6% in 1983.
- How does Somalia rank for merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in east?
- Somalia ranks 30th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in east rising or falling in Somalia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 127.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Somalia 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 — 60 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.