Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in was 64.2% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in in Zimbabwe, 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 Zimbabwe stood at 64.2%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.9% on the previous year and down 11.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in in Zimbabwe peaked at 79.7% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 21.6%, in 1988.
Zimbabwe ranks 5th of 206 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 46 years of available data.
Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in in Zimbabwe, year by year
| Year | % of total merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1964 | 36.8% | — |
| 1965 | 30.8% | -16.3% |
| 1966 | 27.1% | -11.9% |
| 1981 | 39.5% | +45.8% |
| 1982 | 34.2% | -13.6% |
| 1983 | 37.6% | +9.9% |
| 1984 | 31.7% | -15.5% |
| 1985 | 31.8% | +0.1% |
| 1986 | 34.0% | +7.0% |
| 1987 | 33.7% | -0.8% |
| 1988 | 21.6% | -36.0% |
| 1989 | 36.3% | +68.2% |
| 1990 | 37.5% | +3.3% |
| 1991 | 34.7% | -7.6% |
| 1992 | 32.0% | -7.6% |
| 1993 | 36.8% | +14.9% |
| 1994 | 39.7% | +7.9% |
| 1995 | 46.8% | +17.9% |
| 1996 | 47.7% | +1.9% |
| 1997 | 50.6% | +5.9% |
| 1998 | 44.7% | -11.5% |
| 1999 | 50.2% | +12.3% |
| 2000 | 66.1% | +31.7% |
| 2001 | 65.6% | -0.8% |
| 2002 | 69.6% | +6.1% |
| 2003 | 74.3% | +6.8% |
| 2004 | 71.7% | -3.5% |
| 2005 | 77.0% | +7.3% |
| 2006 | 79.2% | +3.0% |
| 2007 | 74.5% | -6.0% |
| 2008 | 79.4% | +6.6% |
| 2009 | 79.7% | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 73.9% | -7.2% |
| 2011 | 73.2% | -0.9% |
| 2012 | 72.9% | -0.5% |
| 2013 | 72.2% | -1.0% |
| 2014 | 71.2% | -1.4% |
| 2015 | 66.2% | -6.9% |
| 2016 | 71.8% | +8.4% |
| 2017 | 69.4% | -3.4% |
| 2018 | 69.1% | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 71.5% | +3.4% |
| 2020 | 67.7% | -5.3% |
| 2021 | 68.0% | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 67.5% | -0.7% |
| 2023 | 64.2% | -4.9% |
Zimbabwe compared with similar countries
- Zimbabwe's 64.2% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.9%, 34.1× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Zimbabwe's 64.2% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 15.0%, 4.3× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in in Zimbabwe 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | +68.2% | 21.6% | 36.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 31.6% | 27.1% | 36.8% | 3 |
| 1980s | 33.4% | 21.6% | 39.5% | 9 |
| 1990s | 42.1% | 32.0% | 50.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 73.7% | 65.6% | 79.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 71.1% | 66.2% | 73.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 66.9% | 64.2% | 68.0% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
More private sector data for Zimbabwe
- Merchandise trade 38.7% (2025)
- Food imports 19.0% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 58.3% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 10.11 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 21.6% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 6.7% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 9.71 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 572.66 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1895 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 30.61 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in in Zimbabwe?
- Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in in Zimbabwe was 64.2% in 2023, according to Staff estimates, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 79.7% in 2009.
- What is the lowest merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.6% in 1988.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in?
- Zimbabwe ranks 5th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zimbabwe 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.
Download this data
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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.