Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)
Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income): Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside was 28.6% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income), 1960–2023
Source: Staff estimates, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of total merchandise imports.
Analysis
Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) recorded 28.6% for merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in 2023.
The figure is down 2.2% on the previous year and up 22.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) peaked at 29.5% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 0.7%, in 1961.
That places Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) 22nd out of 47 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
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 Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | % of total merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 1.1% | — |
| 1961 | 0.7% | -33.3% |
| 1962 | 1.0% | +40.4% |
| 1963 | 1.2% | +24.1% |
| 1964 | 1.6% | +26.7% |
| 1965 | 1.7% | +11.1% |
| 1966 | 2.0% | +13.3% |
| 1967 | 1.5% | -22.0% |
| 1968 | 1.7% | +12.8% |
| 1969 | 2.1% | +21.6% |
| 1970 | 2.1% | +0.6% |
| 1971 | 2.2% | +5.4% |
| 1972 | 2.5% | +9.7% |
| 1973 | 3.3% | +34.8% |
| 1974 | 6.2% | +86.1% |
| 1975 | 5.6% | -9.4% |
| 1976 | 6.6% | +17.4% |
| 1977 | 6.1% | -6.8% |
| 1978 | 6.2% | +1.8% |
| 1979 | 8.9% | +43.6% |
| 1980 | 9.2% | +2.3% |
| 1981 | 6.7% | -26.4% |
| 1982 | 7.4% | +9.3% |
| 1983 | 8.9% | +21.4% |
| 1984 | 9.1% | +1.8% |
| 1985 | 9.3% | +2.1% |
| 1986 | 5.6% | -39.3% |
| 1987 | 6.2% | +9.9% |
| 1988 | 4.7% | -23.4% |
| 1989 | 5.3% | +10.6% |
| 1990 | 5.0% | -4.4% |
| 1991 | 3.2% | -35.8% |
| 1992 | 2.4% | -24.7% |
| 1993 | 3.0% | +22.1% |
| 1994 | 3.3% | +11.8% |
| 1995 | 3.9% | +17.1% |
| 1996 | 4.6% | +17.7% |
| 1997 | 4.7% | +3.1% |
| 1998 | 4.6% | -2.8% |
| 1999 | 4.7% | +3.7% |
| 2000 | 5.8% | +23.1% |
| 2001 | 7.0% | +19.6% |
| 2002 | 7.7% | +10.0% |
| 2003 | 9.7% | +26.0% |
| 2004 | 11.8% | +21.8% |
| 2005 | 13.1% | +11.3% |
| 2006 | 15.3% | +16.4% |
| 2007 | 17.0% | +11.4% |
| 2008 | 18.3% | +7.6% |
| 2009 | 19.1% | +4.3% |
| 2010 | 21.2% | +11.0% |
| 2011 | 21.9% | +3.3% |
| 2012 | 22.2% | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 23.4% | +5.7% |
| 2014 | 24.2% | +3.4% |
| 2015 | 25.5% | +5.3% |
| 2016 | 25.1% | -1.7% |
| 2017 | 25.5% | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 26.1% | +2.7% |
| 2019 | 27.4% | +4.9% |
| 2020 | 29.2% | +6.4% |
| 2021 | 29.5% | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 29.3% | -0.7% |
| 2023 | 28.6% | -2.2% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | +86.1% | 3.3% | 6.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.5% | 0.7% | 2.1% | 10 |
| 1970s | 5.0% | 2.1% | 8.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 7.2% | 4.7% | 9.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.9% | 2.4% | 5.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 12.5% | 5.8% | 19.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 24.2% | 21.2% | 27.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 29.1% | 28.6% | 29.5% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)
More private sector data for Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)
- Merchandise trade 43.4% (2025)
- Food imports 8.3% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 74.3% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 1.40 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 19.4% (2025)
- Manufactures exports 61.3% (2025)
- Merchandise exports 1.37 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 2,178 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.2093 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 6.06 % change on previous year (2025)
All data for Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)?
- Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) was 28.6% in 2023, according to Staff estimates, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside recorded in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 29.5% in 2021.
- What is the lowest merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside recorded in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.7% in 1961.
- How does Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) rank for merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside?
- Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) ranks 22nd out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside rising or falling in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 22.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) 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.
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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.