Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside was 65.6% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Afghanistan, 1967–2023
Source: Staff estimates, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of total merchandise imports.
Analysis
Afghanistan recorded 65.6% for merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 52.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Afghanistan peaked at 67.8% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 0.7%, in 1981.
Afghanistan ranks 3rd of 206 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 outside in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | % of total merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1967 | 13.2% | — |
| 1969 | 20.2% | +52.5% |
| 1970 | 5.2% | -74.5% |
| 1971 | 5.9% | +14.1% |
| 1973 | 12.0% | +104.3% |
| 1974 | 10.6% | -11.4% |
| 1975 | 7.5% | -29.9% |
| 1976 | 12.2% | +63.3% |
| 1977 | 23.9% | +96.4% |
| 1980 | 4.3% | -82.2% |
| 1981 | 0.7% | -84.1% |
| 1982 | 3.1% | +363.8% |
| 1983 | 3.1% | -3.0% |
| 1984 | 3.2% | +5.0% |
| 1985 | 7.8% | +142.2% |
| 1986 | 17.4% | +123.7% |
| 1987 | 15.1% | -12.9% |
| 1988 | 8.5% | -44.1% |
| 1989 | 6.4% | -24.3% |
| 1990 | 8.6% | +33.7% |
| 1991 | 10.9% | +27.7% |
| 1992 | 11.8% | +8.3% |
| 1993 | 14.8% | +25.3% |
| 1994 | 22.0% | +48.2% |
| 1995 | 23.5% | +7.0% |
| 1996 | 17.1% | -27.5% |
| 1997 | 28.3% | +66.0% |
| 1998 | 34.6% | +22.3% |
| 1999 | 31.0% | -10.5% |
| 2000 | 47.4% | +52.8% |
| 2001 | 46.9% | -0.9% |
| 2002 | 48.8% | +3.9% |
| 2003 | 49.0% | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 48.6% | -0.9% |
| 2005 | 48.9% | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 49.3% | +0.9% |
| 2007 | 50.3% | +1.9% |
| 2008 | 55.8% | +10.9% |
| 2009 | 59.9% | +7.4% |
| 2010 | 56.5% | -5.8% |
| 2011 | 50.8% | -10.0% |
| 2012 | 39.1% | -23.1% |
| 2013 | 43.0% | +10.0% |
| 2014 | 59.1% | +37.6% |
| 2015 | 64.9% | +9.8% |
| 2016 | 66.7% | +2.8% |
| 2017 | 65.0% | -2.6% |
| 2018 | 66.4% | +2.2% |
| 2019 | 66.4% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 67.8% | +2.0% |
| 2021 | 65.7% | -3.0% |
| 2022 | 65.6% | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 65.6% | +0.0% |
Afghanistan compared with similar countries
- Afghanistan's 65.6% is above the median for low income countries, which is 36.9%, 1.8× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Afghanistan's 65.6% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 38.3%, 1.7× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Afghanistan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | +363.8% | 0.7% | 3.1% |
| 1985 | +142.2% | 3.2% | 7.8% |
| 1986 | +123.7% | 7.8% | 17.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 16.7% | 13.2% | 20.2% | 2 |
| 1970s | 11.0% | 5.2% | 23.9% | 7 |
| 1980s | 6.9% | 0.7% | 17.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 20.3% | 8.6% | 34.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 50.5% | 46.9% | 59.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 57.8% | 39.1% | 66.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 66.2% | 65.6% | 67.8% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
More private sector data for Afghanistan
- Merchandise trade 22.2% (2025)
- Food imports 26.9% (2019)
- Manufactures imports 41.1% (2019)
- Merchandise imports 3.61 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 63.9% (2019)
- Manufactures exports 4.8% (2019)
- Merchandise exports 926.00 million current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 21.12 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.0517 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 0.7617 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Afghanistan?
- Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Afghanistan was 65.6% in 2023, according to Staff estimates, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 67.8% in 2020.
- What is the lowest merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.7% in 1981.
- How does Afghanistan rank for merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside?
- Afghanistan ranks 3rd out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 52.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from Staff estimates, World Bank (WB), published as part of Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside region (% 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 outside region are the sum of merchandise imports by the reporting economy from other low- and middle-income economies in other World Bank regions 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.