Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in in Malawi
Malawi: Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in was 33.0% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in in Malawi, 1964–2023
Source: Staff estimates, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of total merchandise imports.
Analysis
In 2023, merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in in Malawi stood at 33.0%.
That represents a change of up 32.2% on the previous year and down 24.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in in Malawi peaked at 68.7% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 24.7%, in 2019.
Malawi ranks 14th of 206 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 60 years of available data.
Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % of total merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1964 | 51.3% | — |
| 1965 | 44.3% | -13.6% |
| 1966 | 45.6% | +3.0% |
| 1967 | 38.7% | -15.2% |
| 1968 | 40.2% | +3.9% |
| 1969 | 42.9% | +6.7% |
| 1970 | 44.9% | +4.6% |
| 1971 | 31.0% | -30.9% |
| 1972 | 35.2% | +13.7% |
| 1973 | 41.2% | +16.9% |
| 1974 | 44.3% | +7.5% |
| 1975 | 41.6% | -6.2% |
| 1976 | 40.5% | -2.5% |
| 1977 | 43.8% | +8.0% |
| 1978 | 43.4% | -0.9% |
| 1979 | 47.9% | +10.4% |
| 1980 | 45.9% | -4.3% |
| 1981 | 45.2% | -1.5% |
| 1982 | 49.3% | +9.1% |
| 1983 | 52.4% | +6.4% |
| 1984 | 55.4% | +5.8% |
| 1985 | 47.6% | -14.1% |
| 1986 | 37.9% | -20.4% |
| 1987 | 53.5% | +41.3% |
| 1988 | 46.5% | -13.1% |
| 1989 | 54.7% | +17.6% |
| 1990 | 45.2% | -17.4% |
| 1991 | 46.8% | +3.7% |
| 1992 | 49.1% | +4.8% |
| 1993 | 58.9% | +20.1% |
| 1994 | 59.6% | +1.2% |
| 1995 | 45.5% | -23.8% |
| 1996 | 66.8% | +47.0% |
| 1997 | 68.0% | +1.7% |
| 1998 | 68.7% | +1.1% |
| 1999 | 68.3% | -0.7% |
| 2000 | 54.1% | -20.8% |
| 2001 | 58.2% | +7.7% |
| 2002 | 59.0% | +1.3% |
| 2003 | 59.2% | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 59.3% | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 63.0% | +6.2% |
| 2006 | 63.4% | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 56.1% | -11.6% |
| 2008 | 56.6% | +1.0% |
| 2009 | 58.2% | +2.8% |
| 2010 | 44.5% | -23.5% |
| 2011 | 41.2% | -7.4% |
| 2012 | 38.8% | -5.8% |
| 2013 | 43.9% | +13.1% |
| 2014 | 41.6% | -5.2% |
| 2015 | 28.2% | -32.2% |
| 2016 | 25.6% | -9.5% |
| 2017 | 26.2% | +2.4% |
| 2018 | 29.9% | +14.3% |
| 2019 | 24.7% | -17.5% |
| 2020 | 28.7% | +16.3% |
| 2021 | 29.1% | +1.3% |
| 2022 | 24.9% | -14.2% |
| 2023 | 33.0% | +32.2% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 33.0% is above the median for low income countries, which is 19.6%, 1.7× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 33.0% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 15.0%, 2.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 43.8% | 38.7% | 51.3% | 6 |
| 1970s | 41.4% | 31.0% | 47.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 48.8% | 37.9% | 55.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 57.7% | 45.2% | 68.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 58.7% | 54.1% | 63.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 34.5% | 24.7% | 44.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 28.9% | 24.9% | 33.0% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 11 Sao Tome and Principe 34.1% compare
- 12 Liberia 34.0% compare
- 13 Burundi 33.5% compare
- 15 Central African Republic 31.6% compare
- 16 Burkina Faso 27.7% compare
- 17 Uganda 26.9% compare
More private sector data for Malawi
- Merchandise trade 30.9% (2025)
- Food imports 11.8% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 68.1% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 3.66 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 90.2% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 8.0% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 947.00 million current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 42.63 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.0635 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate -1.15 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in in Malawi?
- Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in in Malawi was 33.0% in 2023, according to Staff estimates, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 68.7% in 1998.
- What is the lowest merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.7% in 2019.
- How does Malawi rank for merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in?
- Malawi ranks 14th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 24.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malawi 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 Sub-Saharan Africa (% 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 Sub-Saharan Africa are the sum of merchandise imports by the reporting economy from low- and middle-income economies in the Sub-Saharan 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.