Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in South in Africa Eastern and Southern
Africa Eastern and Southern: Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in South was 8.3% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in South in Africa Eastern and Southern, 1960–2023
Source: Staff estimates, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of total merchandise imports.
Analysis
In 2023, merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in south in Africa Eastern and Southern stood at 8.3%.
The figure is down 4.0% on the previous year and up 6.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in south in Africa Eastern and Southern peaked at 8.6% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 1.5%, in 1984.
Africa Eastern and Southern ranks 5th of 47 groups on this measure, 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 South in Africa Eastern and Southern, year by year
| Year | % of total merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 5.4% | — |
| 1961 | 5.7% | +7.1% |
| 1962 | 5.2% | -10.1% |
| 1963 | 4.2% | -19.4% |
| 1964 | 3.1% | -26.0% |
| 1965 | 3.0% | -1.4% |
| 1966 | 3.2% | +6.0% |
| 1967 | 2.9% | -11.2% |
| 1968 | 2.8% | -3.4% |
| 1969 | 2.7% | -3.5% |
| 1970 | 2.7% | +0.1% |
| 1971 | 3.7% | +37.6% |
| 1972 | 2.2% | -40.9% |
| 1973 | 1.5% | -29.1% |
| 1974 | 1.6% | +4.9% |
| 1975 | 2.1% | +29.8% |
| 1976 | 3.1% | +47.5% |
| 1977 | 3.4% | +8.3% |
| 1978 | 3.6% | +7.1% |
| 1979 | 2.8% | -20.9% |
| 1980 | 2.9% | +3.7% |
| 1981 | 2.6% | -13.2% |
| 1982 | 2.3% | -10.1% |
| 1983 | 2.4% | +2.5% |
| 1984 | 1.5% | -36.2% |
| 1985 | 1.9% | +26.7% |
| 1986 | 2.5% | +29.4% |
| 1987 | 2.5% | -0.1% |
| 1988 | 2.6% | +7.4% |
| 1989 | 2.2% | -15.8% |
| 1990 | 2.3% | +2.3% |
| 1991 | 2.7% | +18.6% |
| 1992 | 2.9% | +5.7% |
| 1993 | 3.2% | +10.7% |
| 1994 | 4.0% | +27.9% |
| 1995 | 4.8% | +18.6% |
| 1996 | 4.8% | -1.0% |
| 1997 | 4.9% | +3.3% |
| 1998 | 3.2% | -35.1% |
| 1999 | 2.9% | -8.0% |
| 2000 | 2.6% | -12.4% |
| 2001 | 2.8% | +7.8% |
| 2002 | 2.9% | +5.1% |
| 2003 | 3.0% | +2.6% |
| 2004 | 2.9% | -4.4% |
| 2005 | 3.4% | +19.5% |
| 2006 | 4.1% | +20.3% |
| 2007 | 4.3% | +4.6% |
| 2008 | 5.5% | +27.1% |
| 2009 | 5.6% | +2.7% |
| 2010 | 5.6% | -0.5% |
| 2011 | 6.2% | +11.9% |
| 2012 | 6.6% | +6.4% |
| 2013 | 7.8% | +17.6% |
| 2014 | 7.5% | -4.1% |
| 2015 | 7.2% | -4.4% |
| 2016 | 7.3% | +2.7% |
| 2017 | 7.2% | -2.4% |
| 2018 | 7.0% | -2.8% |
| 2019 | 7.1% | +1.9% |
| 2020 | 7.7% | +8.7% |
| 2021 | 8.3% | +8.0% |
| 2022 | 8.6% | +3.3% |
| 2023 | 8.3% | -4.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.8% | 2.7% | 5.7% | 10 |
| 1970s | 2.7% | 1.5% | 3.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.3% | 1.5% | 2.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.6% | 2.3% | 4.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.7% | 2.6% | 5.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.9% | 5.6% | 7.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.2% | 7.7% | 8.6% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Africa Eastern and Southern
More private sector data for Africa Eastern and Southern
- Merchandise trade 45.4% (2025)
- Food imports 10.9% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 60.3% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 337.80 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 14.5% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 26.0% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 282.56 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 358.19 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.208 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 5.18 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in south in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in south in Africa Eastern and Southern was 8.3% in 2023, according to Staff estimates, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in south recorded in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- The highest recorded value was 8.6% in 2022.
- What is the lowest merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in south recorded in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.5% in 1984.
- How does Africa Eastern and Southern rank for merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in south?
- Africa Eastern and Southern ranks 5th out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in south rising or falling in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Africa Eastern and Southern 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 South Asia (% 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 South Asia are the sum of merchandise imports by the reporting economy from low- and middle-income economies in the South Asia 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.