Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Kuwait
Kuwait: Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside was 36.4% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Kuwait, 1963–2023
Source: Staff estimates, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of total merchandise imports.
Analysis
The most recent figure for merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Kuwait is 36.4%, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 60 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.2% on the previous year and up 30.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Kuwait peaked at 36.4% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 6.4%, in 1991.
Kuwait ranks 43rd of 206 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
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 Kuwait, year by year
| Year | % of total merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1963 | 6.4% | — |
| 1964 | 7.6% | +18.3% |
| 1966 | 10.3% | +36.5% |
| 1967 | 9.1% | -11.9% |
| 1968 | 12.1% | +33.3% |
| 1969 | 12.7% | +4.8% |
| 1970 | 11.5% | -10.1% |
| 1971 | 11.6% | +1.5% |
| 1972 | 11.6% | -0.2% |
| 1973 | 11.8% | +2.1% |
| 1974 | 11.6% | -1.7% |
| 1975 | 8.2% | -29.6% |
| 1976 | 9.4% | +15.0% |
| 1977 | 9.7% | +3.2% |
| 1978 | 8.9% | -8.7% |
| 1979 | 9.2% | +3.4% |
| 1980 | 8.1% | -11.5% |
| 1981 | 8.0% | -1.9% |
| 1982 | 7.5% | -6.3% |
| 1983 | 7.7% | +3.3% |
| 1984 | 8.4% | +9.3% |
| 1985 | 9.3% | +10.4% |
| 1986 | 9.9% | +6.5% |
| 1987 | 11.8% | +18.8% |
| 1988 | 13.4% | +13.5% |
| 1989 | 14.9% | +11.2% |
| 1990 | 14.2% | -4.7% |
| 1991 | 6.4% | -55.2% |
| 1992 | 12.3% | +92.6% |
| 1993 | 9.1% | -25.9% |
| 1994 | 14.0% | +53.7% |
| 1995 | 13.5% | -3.1% |
| 1996 | 15.0% | +10.6% |
| 1997 | 14.9% | -0.4% |
| 1998 | 15.7% | +5.3% |
| 1999 | 16.3% | +3.9% |
| 2000 | 17.5% | +7.3% |
| 2001 | 18.3% | +4.7% |
| 2002 | 19.1% | +4.3% |
| 2003 | 19.5% | +2.1% |
| 2004 | 24.5% | +25.8% |
| 2005 | 23.9% | -2.8% |
| 2006 | 22.9% | -4.0% |
| 2007 | 24.8% | +8.3% |
| 2008 | 29.0% | +16.7% |
| 2009 | 28.6% | -1.2% |
| 2010 | 28.5% | -0.5% |
| 2011 | 30.3% | +6.4% |
| 2012 | 29.4% | -3.0% |
| 2013 | 27.8% | -5.4% |
| 2014 | 28.8% | +3.7% |
| 2015 | 32.2% | +11.8% |
| 2016 | 31.1% | -3.6% |
| 2017 | 31.5% | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 32.1% | +2.0% |
| 2019 | 34.0% | +5.9% |
| 2020 | 34.9% | +2.6% |
| 2021 | 34.2% | -1.9% |
| 2022 | 35.6% | +4.0% |
| 2023 | 36.4% | +2.2% |
Kuwait compared with similar countries
- Kuwait's 36.4% is above the median for high income countries, which is 11.2%, 3.3× the median. (74 countries reporting)
- Kuwait's 36.4% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 38.3%, 95% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Kuwait 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | +92.6% | 6.4% | 12.3% |
| 1991 | -55.2% | 14.2% | 6.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 9.7% | 6.4% | 12.7% | 6 |
| 1970s | 10.4% | 8.2% | 11.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 9.9% | 7.5% | 14.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 13.1% | 6.4% | 16.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 22.8% | 17.5% | 29.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 30.6% | 27.8% | 34.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 35.3% | 34.2% | 36.4% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Kuwait
- 40 Egypt 36.6% compare
- 41 Ghana 36.6% compare
- 42 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 36.6% compare
- 44 Côte d'Ivoire 36.0% compare
- 45 Bahrain 35.9% compare
- 46 Equatorial Guinea 34.9% compare
More private sector data for Kuwait
- Merchandise trade 72.3% (2025)
- Food imports 17.5% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 73.2% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 41.61 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 0.6% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 8.1% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 72.07 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 14,814 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.4585 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate -4.09 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Kuwait?
- Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Kuwait was 36.4% in 2023, according to Staff estimates, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside recorded in Kuwait?
- The highest recorded value was 36.4% in 2023.
- What is the lowest merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside recorded in Kuwait?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.4% in 1991.
- How does Kuwait rank for merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside?
- Kuwait ranks 43rd out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside rising or falling in Kuwait?
- Over the last ten years it is up 30.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Kuwait 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
CSV · JSON — 60 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
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.