Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Malawi
Malawi: Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside was 30.1% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Malawi, 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 outside in Malawi stood at 30.1%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.8% on the previous year and up 41.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Malawi peaked at 36.9% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 0.6%, in 1988.
That places Malawi 61st 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 Malawi, year by year
| Year | % of total merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1964 | 6.3% | — |
| 1965 | 5.2% | -18.6% |
| 1966 | 1.8% | -65.0% |
| 1967 | 5.7% | +215.2% |
| 1968 | 1.4% | -75.7% |
| 1969 | 2.6% | +85.8% |
| 1970 | 2.8% | +9.5% |
| 1971 | 9.8% | +249.0% |
| 1972 | 8.2% | -16.7% |
| 1973 | 7.6% | -7.8% |
| 1974 | 5.9% | -21.7% |
| 1975 | 3.4% | -42.0% |
| 1976 | 2.3% | -32.1% |
| 1977 | 2.5% | +5.3% |
| 1978 | 2.3% | -8.1% |
| 1979 | 2.9% | +26.7% |
| 1980 | 2.3% | -18.9% |
| 1981 | 2.6% | +11.4% |
| 1982 | 2.1% | -19.7% |
| 1983 | 1.9% | -9.2% |
| 1984 | 1.0% | -48.5% |
| 1985 | 1.2% | +21.2% |
| 1986 | 0.8% | -29.6% |
| 1988 | 0.6% | -33.1% |
| 1989 | 1.2% | +123.9% |
| 1990 | 1.8% | +48.0% |
| 1991 | 1.5% | -17.4% |
| 1992 | 2.2% | +45.5% |
| 1993 | 3.5% | +56.6% |
| 1994 | 5.2% | +50.1% |
| 1995 | 9.9% | +90.9% |
| 1996 | 4.1% | -59.1% |
| 1997 | 5.1% | +25.9% |
| 1998 | 3.8% | -24.7% |
| 1999 | 6.3% | +65.0% |
| 2000 | 10.5% | +64.9% |
| 2001 | 12.3% | +17.6% |
| 2002 | 7.5% | -39.3% |
| 2003 | 11.2% | +49.5% |
| 2004 | 13.3% | +19.2% |
| 2005 | 10.3% | -22.6% |
| 2006 | 8.5% | -17.4% |
| 2007 | 12.8% | +50.2% |
| 2008 | 13.0% | +1.7% |
| 2009 | 14.2% | +9.7% |
| 2010 | 21.5% | +50.9% |
| 2011 | 25.1% | +17.0% |
| 2012 | 31.2% | +24.2% |
| 2013 | 21.2% | -32.1% |
| 2014 | 25.8% | +21.7% |
| 2015 | 34.3% | +32.9% |
| 2016 | 36.9% | +7.5% |
| 2017 | 33.4% | -9.4% |
| 2018 | 29.9% | -10.7% |
| 2019 | 35.4% | +18.6% |
| 2020 | 35.4% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 31.4% | -11.3% |
| 2022 | 31.9% | +1.6% |
| 2023 | 30.1% | -5.8% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 30.1% is below the median for low income countries, which is 36.9%, 82% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 30.1% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 33.0%, 91% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Malawi 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | +249.0% | 2.8% | 9.8% |
| 1967 | +215.2% | 1.8% | 5.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.8% | 1.4% | 6.3% | 6 |
| 1970s | 4.8% | 2.3% | 9.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.5% | 0.6% | 2.6% | 9 |
| 1990s | 4.3% | 1.5% | 9.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.3% | 7.5% | 14.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 29.5% | 21.2% | 36.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 32.2% | 30.1% | 35.4% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
More private sector data for Malawi
- Merchandise trade 30.9% (2025)
- Food imports 11.8% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 68.1% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 3.66 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 90.2% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 8.0% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 947.00 million current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 42.63 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.0635 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate -1.15 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Malawi?
- Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Malawi was 30.1% in 2023, according to Staff estimates, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 36.9% in 2016.
- What is the lowest merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.6% in 1988.
- How does Malawi rank for merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside?
- Malawi ranks 61st out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 41.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malawi 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.