Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Lebanon
Lebanon: Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside was 30.8% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Lebanon, 1960–2023
Source: Staff estimates, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of total merchandise imports.
Analysis
Lebanon recorded 30.8% for merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 20.7% on the previous year and up 11.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Lebanon peaked at 38.8% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 5.7%, in 1960.
That places Lebanon 59th out of 206 countries 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 Lebanon, year by year
| Year | % of total merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 5.7% | — |
| 1961 | 9.6% | +68.1% |
| 1963 | 6.8% | -29.2% |
| 1964 | 7.1% | +4.3% |
| 1965 | 6.8% | -4.1% |
| 1966 | 7.6% | +10.9% |
| 1967 | 8.8% | +17.0% |
| 1968 | 7.3% | -17.3% |
| 1969 | 8.0% | +9.1% |
| 1970 | 8.3% | +4.1% |
| 1971 | 9.5% | +14.2% |
| 1972 | 8.0% | -15.9% |
| 1973 | 7.9% | -1.3% |
| 1981 | 7.8% | -1.1% |
| 1982 | 6.6% | -15.5% |
| 1983 | 6.9% | +4.5% |
| 1984 | 8.3% | +21.1% |
| 1985 | 10.0% | +20.3% |
| 1986 | 12.6% | +25.8% |
| 1987 | 15.7% | +24.1% |
| 1988 | 7.9% | -49.6% |
| 1989 | 9.1% | +14.9% |
| 1990 | 7.5% | -17.9% |
| 1991 | 9.4% | +26.2% |
| 1992 | 7.0% | -25.6% |
| 1993 | 9.2% | +31.2% |
| 1994 | 10.0% | +9.0% |
| 1995 | 13.7% | +36.6% |
| 1996 | 14.3% | +4.2% |
| 1997 | 14.1% | -1.0% |
| 1998 | 15.3% | +8.3% |
| 1999 | 16.1% | +5.3% |
| 2000 | 15.8% | -2.0% |
| 2001 | 17.7% | +12.6% |
| 2002 | 19.4% | +9.2% |
| 2003 | 19.8% | +2.3% |
| 2004 | 19.5% | -1.5% |
| 2005 | 19.4% | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 20.2% | +3.8% |
| 2007 | 22.7% | +12.7% |
| 2008 | 23.6% | +4.0% |
| 2009 | 24.8% | +5.0% |
| 2010 | 26.4% | +6.5% |
| 2011 | 24.9% | -5.8% |
| 2012 | 24.7% | -0.5% |
| 2013 | 27.5% | +11.3% |
| 2014 | 26.7% | -3.2% |
| 2015 | 26.6% | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 26.9% | +1.4% |
| 2017 | 26.7% | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 28.4% | +6.1% |
| 2019 | 24.6% | -13.3% |
| 2020 | 26.1% | +6.1% |
| 2021 | 32.0% | +22.7% |
| 2022 | 38.8% | +21.2% |
| 2023 | 30.8% | -20.7% |
Lebanon compared with similar countries
- Lebanon's 30.8% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 29.9%, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Lebanon's 30.8% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 38.3%, 80% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Lebanon 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | +68.1% | 5.7% | 9.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 7.5% | 5.7% | 9.6% | 9 |
| 1970s | 8.4% | 7.9% | 9.5% | 4 |
| 1980s | 9.4% | 6.6% | 15.7% | 9 |
| 1990s | 11.6% | 7.0% | 16.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 20.3% | 15.8% | 24.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 26.3% | 24.6% | 28.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 31.9% | 26.1% | 38.8% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Lebanon
- 56 Comoros 31.8% compare
- 57 Mozambique 31.1% compare
- 58 Uruguay 31.0% compare
- 60 Burkina Faso 30.6% compare
- 61 Malawi 30.1% compare
- 62 Central African Republic 30.0% compare
More private sector data for Lebanon
- Merchandise trade 85.9% (2025)
- Food imports 18.5% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 40.0% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 21.67 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 19.1% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 55.6% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 4.60 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 786.06 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1456 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 21.61 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Lebanon?
- Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Lebanon was 30.8% in 2023, according to Staff estimates, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside recorded in Lebanon?
- The highest recorded value was 38.8% in 2022.
- What is the lowest merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside recorded in Lebanon?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.7% in 1960.
- How does Lebanon rank for merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside?
- Lebanon ranks 59th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside rising or falling in Lebanon?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Lebanon 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.