Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income): Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside was 41.6% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income), 1960–2023
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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) stood at 41.6%. That is the highest value across all 64 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.7% on the previous year and up 24.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) peaked at 41.6% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 6.3%, in 1978.
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) ranks 5th of 47 groups 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | % of total merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 8.5% | — |
| 1961 | 8.5% | +0.2% |
| 1962 | 8.9% | +4.6% |
| 1963 | 8.8% | -0.7% |
| 1964 | 8.6% | -2.8% |
| 1965 | 8.7% | +1.7% |
| 1966 | 9.6% | +10.4% |
| 1967 | 9.2% | -5.0% |
| 1968 | 7.7% | -16.0% |
| 1969 | 8.1% | +5.9% |
| 1970 | 9.5% | +16.6% |
| 1971 | 9.8% | +3.8% |
| 1972 | 10.8% | +9.9% |
| 1973 | 9.6% | -11.5% |
| 1974 | 10.5% | +9.6% |
| 1975 | 8.9% | -14.8% |
| 1976 | 7.9% | -11.4% |
| 1977 | 7.1% | -10.0% |
| 1978 | 6.3% | -11.8% |
| 1979 | 6.7% | +5.7% |
| 1980 | 6.7% | +0.4% |
| 1981 | 7.8% | +16.1% |
| 1982 | 8.8% | +13.4% |
| 1983 | 9.9% | +12.1% |
| 1984 | 11.1% | +12.6% |
| 1985 | 12.1% | +8.7% |
| 1986 | 11.5% | -4.7% |
| 1987 | 13.6% | +18.3% |
| 1988 | 12.5% | -8.2% |
| 1989 | 12.6% | +0.6% |
| 1990 | 11.8% | -6.0% |
| 1991 | 12.1% | +2.4% |
| 1992 | 11.8% | -2.6% |
| 1993 | 13.2% | +12.2% |
| 1994 | 14.5% | +9.8% |
| 1995 | 16.7% | +14.6% |
| 1996 | 17.3% | +4.0% |
| 1997 | 17.1% | -1.1% |
| 1998 | 17.4% | +1.8% |
| 1999 | 16.5% | -5.0% |
| 2000 | 19.0% | +14.8% |
| 2001 | 20.8% | +9.3% |
| 2002 | 21.5% | +3.8% |
| 2003 | 23.4% | +8.6% |
| 2004 | 23.5% | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 23.5% | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 23.2% | -1.1% |
| 2007 | 24.6% | +6.1% |
| 2008 | 26.6% | +7.9% |
| 2009 | 29.1% | +9.5% |
| 2010 | 30.0% | +2.9% |
| 2011 | 30.7% | +2.5% |
| 2012 | 32.3% | +5.2% |
| 2013 | 33.4% | +3.4% |
| 2014 | 34.9% | +4.4% |
| 2015 | 36.6% | +4.8% |
| 2016 | 36.6% | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 39.3% | +7.4% |
| 2018 | 38.8% | -1.3% |
| 2019 | 39.8% | +2.7% |
| 2020 | 41.6% | +4.4% |
| 2021 | 41.6% | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 41.4% | -0.5% |
| 2023 | 41.6% | +0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 8.7% | 7.7% | 9.6% | 10 |
| 1970s | 8.7% | 6.3% | 10.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 10.7% | 6.7% | 13.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 14.9% | 11.8% | 17.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 23.5% | 19.0% | 29.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 35.2% | 30.0% | 39.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 41.5% | 41.4% | 41.6% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)
- 2 Iraq 68.2% compare
- 3 Afghanistan 65.6% compare
- 4 Djibouti 60.0% compare
- 5 Ethiopia 59.7% compare
- 6 Russia 58.6% compare
- 7 United Arab Emirates 56.4% compare
- 8 Sierra Leone 54.8% compare
More private sector data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)
- Merchandise trade 49.0% (2025)
- Food imports 18.8% (2019)
- Manufactures imports 57.7% (2019)
- Merchandise imports 582.51 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 10.4% (2017)
- Manufactures exports 37.1% (2017)
- Merchandise exports 468.21 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 621.05 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.2195 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 1.11 % change on previous year (2025)
All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) was 41.6% in 2023, according to Staff estimates, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 41.6% in 2023.
- What is the lowest merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.3% in 1978.
- How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) rank for merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside?
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) ranks 5th out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside rising or falling in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 24.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (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.