Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in South in Tanzania
Tanzania: Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in South was 13.7% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in South in Tanzania, 1960–2023
Source: Staff estimates, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of total merchandise imports.
Analysis
Tanzania recorded 13.7% for merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in south in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.9% on the previous year and down 30.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in south in Tanzania peaked at 20.5% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 1.6%, in 1972.
Tanzania ranks 11th of 205 countries 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 South in Tanzania, year by year
| Year | % of total merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 7.7% | — |
| 1961 | 8.2% | +6.2% |
| 1962 | 8.7% | +6.5% |
| 1963 | 8.8% | +1.0% |
| 1964 | 7.9% | -10.2% |
| 1965 | 8.5% | +6.9% |
| 1966 | 7.9% | -6.5% |
| 1967 | 4.9% | -38.0% |
| 1968 | 4.5% | -7.7% |
| 1969 | 4.4% | -3.4% |
| 1970 | 3.5% | -19.9% |
| 1971 | 2.4% | -31.2% |
| 1972 | 1.6% | -32.1% |
| 1973 | 1.8% | +8.8% |
| 1974 | 1.9% | +4.5% |
| 1975 | 2.6% | +38.5% |
| 1976 | 4.9% | +88.9% |
| 1977 | 7.1% | +45.5% |
| 1978 | 4.8% | -31.7% |
| 1979 | 5.6% | +15.5% |
| 1980 | 4.0% | -28.7% |
| 1981 | 3.7% | -6.8% |
| 1982 | 2.5% | -31.8% |
| 1983 | 2.7% | +6.3% |
| 1984 | 2.7% | +0.1% |
| 1985 | 2.5% | -5.4% |
| 1986 | 7.6% | +197.0% |
| 1987 | 7.7% | +1.6% |
| 1988 | 6.9% | -10.5% |
| 1989 | 4.1% | -40.4% |
| 1990 | 2.5% | -38.9% |
| 1991 | 6.4% | +153.6% |
| 1992 | 7.4% | +16.8% |
| 1993 | 6.9% | -7.0% |
| 1994 | 6.4% | -7.6% |
| 1995 | 5.6% | -12.3% |
| 1996 | 6.3% | +11.9% |
| 1997 | 13.2% | +110.7% |
| 1998 | 7.0% | -46.9% |
| 1999 | 6.9% | -2.1% |
| 2000 | 6.6% | -4.2% |
| 2001 | 5.9% | -10.6% |
| 2002 | 7.8% | +33.0% |
| 2003 | 8.6% | +10.2% |
| 2004 | 8.9% | +3.4% |
| 2005 | 6.1% | -31.0% |
| 2006 | 5.7% | -7.7% |
| 2007 | 8.9% | +57.5% |
| 2008 | 11.0% | +23.1% |
| 2009 | 12.3% | +12.0% |
| 2010 | 11.7% | -4.6% |
| 2011 | 14.8% | +26.3% |
| 2012 | 8.3% | -44.3% |
| 2013 | 19.6% | +137.0% |
| 2014 | 20.5% | +4.8% |
| 2015 | 8.9% | -56.5% |
| 2016 | 18.6% | +108.4% |
| 2017 | 18.6% | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 14.9% | -19.8% |
| 2019 | 14.3% | -4.0% |
| 2020 | 13.2% | -7.7% |
| 2021 | 11.5% | -12.8% |
| 2022 | 12.9% | +12.2% |
| 2023 | 13.7% | +5.9% |
Tanzania compared with similar countries
- Tanzania's 13.7% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 2.7%, 5.1× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Tanzania's 13.7% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 7.0%, 1.9× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in South in Tanzania 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | +197.0% | 2.5% | 7.6% |
| 1991 | +153.6% | 2.5% | 6.4% |
| 2013 | +137.0% | 8.3% | 19.6% |
| 1997 | +110.7% | 6.3% | 13.2% |
| 2016 | +108.4% | 8.9% | 18.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 7.2% | 4.4% | 8.8% | 10 |
| 1970s | 3.6% | 1.6% | 7.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.4% | 2.5% | 7.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.8% | 2.5% | 13.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 8.2% | 5.7% | 12.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 15.0% | 8.3% | 20.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.8% | 11.5% | 13.7% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Tanzania
- 8 Liberia 16.6% compare
- 9 Djibouti 16.4% compare
- 10 Bangladesh 15.4% compare
- 12 Comoros 13.6% compare
- 13 Sierra Leone 12.5% compare
- 14 Madagascar 12.1% compare
More private sector data for Tanzania
- Merchandise trade 27.5% (2025)
- Food imports 9.2% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 68.3% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 14.81 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 37.4% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 10.8% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 9.96 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 141.13 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1104 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 14.41 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in south in Tanzania?
- Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in south in Tanzania was 13.7% 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 Tanzania?
- The highest recorded value was 20.5% in 2014.
- What is the lowest merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in south recorded in Tanzania?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.6% in 1972.
- How does Tanzania rank for merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in south?
- Tanzania ranks 11th out of 205 countries with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in south rising or falling in Tanzania?
- Over the last ten years it is down 30.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Tanzania 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.
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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.