Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in Middle in Lower middle income
Lower middle income: Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in Middle was 3.7% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in Middle in Lower middle income, 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 middle in Lower middle income is 3.7%, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 18.0% on the previous year and down 17.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in middle in Lower middle income peaked at 6.6% in 1974 and was at its lowest, 2.1%, in 2004.
That places Lower middle income 4th out of 47 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in Middle in Lower middle income, year by year
| Year | % of total merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 3.7% | — |
| 1961 | 3.2% | -14.8% |
| 1962 | 3.1% | -3.0% |
| 1963 | 3.9% | +28.3% |
| 1964 | 3.2% | -18.1% |
| 1965 | 3.1% | -2.5% |
| 1966 | 3.2% | +3.4% |
| 1967 | 3.0% | -6.7% |
| 1968 | 3.6% | +19.2% |
| 1969 | 3.5% | -3.2% |
| 1970 | 3.6% | +2.9% |
| 1971 | 3.7% | +3.3% |
| 1972 | 4.0% | +8.2% |
| 1973 | 3.9% | -2.4% |
| 1974 | 6.6% | +67.0% |
| 1975 | 4.8% | -26.3% |
| 1976 | 4.2% | -14.1% |
| 1977 | 3.9% | -7.1% |
| 1978 | 3.7% | -5.2% |
| 1979 | 4.6% | +26.6% |
| 1980 | 6.5% | +41.1% |
| 1981 | 3.4% | -48.6% |
| 1982 | 3.4% | -0.1% |
| 1983 | 3.7% | +9.4% |
| 1984 | 3.6% | -2.4% |
| 1985 | 3.7% | +4.0% |
| 1986 | 2.5% | -33.7% |
| 1987 | 2.5% | +2.5% |
| 1988 | 2.3% | -10.5% |
| 1989 | 2.8% | +22.7% |
| 1990 | 3.7% | +33.3% |
| 1991 | 3.3% | -10.3% |
| 1992 | 3.5% | +6.7% |
| 1993 | 2.8% | -22.3% |
| 1994 | 3.1% | +11.2% |
| 1995 | 2.5% | -17.2% |
| 1996 | 2.7% | +7.2% |
| 1997 | 2.5% | -8.1% |
| 1998 | 2.2% | -14.1% |
| 1999 | 2.7% | +25.2% |
| 2000 | 2.9% | +9.1% |
| 2001 | 2.6% | -12.9% |
| 2002 | 2.6% | +1.6% |
| 2003 | 2.2% | -17.1% |
| 2004 | 2.1% | -1.7% |
| 2005 | 2.3% | +9.0% |
| 2006 | 5.0% | +115.1% |
| 2007 | 5.5% | +10.7% |
| 2008 | 5.6% | +1.8% |
| 2009 | 4.8% | -13.8% |
| 2010 | 4.6% | -4.0% |
| 2011 | 4.8% | +4.1% |
| 2012 | 5.0% | +3.5% |
| 2013 | 4.5% | -9.0% |
| 2014 | 4.1% | -10.4% |
| 2015 | 3.4% | -15.8% |
| 2016 | 3.7% | +8.4% |
| 2017 | 4.1% | +10.5% |
| 2018 | 5.1% | +23.1% |
| 2019 | 4.1% | -19.1% |
| 2020 | 3.6% | -13.2% |
| 2021 | 3.9% | +9.6% |
| 2022 | 4.6% | +17.1% |
| 2023 | 3.7% | -18.0% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in Middle in Lower middle income 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | +115.1% | 2.3% | 5.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.4% | 3.0% | 3.9% | 10 |
| 1970s | 4.3% | 3.6% | 6.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.4% | 2.3% | 6.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.9% | 2.2% | 3.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.6% | 2.1% | 5.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.3% | 3.4% | 5.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.9% | 3.6% | 4.6% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Lower middle income
- 1 Afghanistan 23.7% compare
- 2 Syrian Arab Republic 21.7% compare
- 3 Greece 12.0% compare
- 4 Tunisia 9.8% compare
- 5 Sudan 9.1% compare
- 6 Ethiopia 8.0% compare
- 7 Palestine, State of 8.0% compare
More private sector data for Lower middle income
- Merchandise trade 35.7% (2025)
- Food imports 9.8% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 51.4% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 1.56 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 14.8% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 50.0% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 1.06 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 358.3 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1444 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 5.93 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in middle in Lower middle income?
- Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in middle in Lower middle income was 3.7% in 2023, according to Staff estimates, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in middle recorded in Lower middle income?
- The highest recorded value was 6.6% in 1974.
- What is the lowest merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in middle recorded in Lower middle income?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.1% in 2004.
- How does Lower middle income rank for merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in middle?
- Lower middle income ranks 4th out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in middle rising or falling in Lower middle income?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Lower middle income 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 Middle East & North Africa (% of total merchandise imports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in Middle East and North Africa are the sum of merchandise imports by the reporting economy from low- and middle-income economies in the Middle East and North Africa 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.