Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in North America
North America: Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside was 44.3% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in North America, 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 North America stood at 44.3%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.5% on the previous year and up 2.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in North America peaked at 46.5% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 12.6%, in 1971.
That places North America 2nd out of 47 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in North America, year by year
| Year | % of total merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 22.1% | — |
| 1961 | 20.8% | -5.7% |
| 1962 | 20.2% | -3.2% |
| 1963 | 20.3% | +0.6% |
| 1964 | 19.9% | -1.9% |
| 1965 | 17.7% | -10.9% |
| 1966 | 17.2% | -2.9% |
| 1967 | 15.5% | -9.6% |
| 1968 | 14.5% | -6.5% |
| 1969 | 13.4% | -7.9% |
| 1970 | 13.4% | +0.2% |
| 1971 | 12.6% | -5.9% |
| 1972 | 12.8% | +1.0% |
| 1973 | 14.4% | +12.7% |
| 1974 | 19.7% | +37.2% |
| 1975 | 20.6% | +4.6% |
| 1976 | 21.9% | +6.0% |
| 1977 | 23.6% | +7.8% |
| 1978 | 22.3% | -5.3% |
| 1979 | 24.1% | +7.8% |
| 1980 | 25.0% | +3.8% |
| 1981 | 22.3% | -10.9% |
| 1982 | 20.9% | -6.1% |
| 1983 | 20.5% | -2.1% |
| 1984 | 18.5% | -9.8% |
| 1985 | 17.0% | -7.9% |
| 1986 | 15.1% | -11.1% |
| 1987 | 16.1% | +6.2% |
| 1988 | 16.3% | +1.3% |
| 1989 | 18.1% | +11.4% |
| 1990 | 19.2% | +6.1% |
| 1991 | 19.7% | +2.4% |
| 1992 | 21.4% | +8.8% |
| 1993 | 22.5% | +5.3% |
| 1994 | 23.5% | +4.3% |
| 1995 | 24.6% | +4.8% |
| 1996 | 26.1% | +6.0% |
| 1997 | 27.1% | +3.6% |
| 1998 | 28.0% | +3.2% |
| 1999 | 28.6% | +2.3% |
| 2000 | 30.1% | +5.2% |
| 2001 | 31.0% | +3.1% |
| 2002 | 32.8% | +5.7% |
| 2003 | 34.3% | +4.5% |
| 2004 | 35.8% | +4.4% |
| 2005 | 37.5% | +4.7% |
| 2006 | 39.3% | +5.0% |
| 2007 | 40.1% | +1.9% |
| 2008 | 40.8% | +1.7% |
| 2009 | 43.1% | +5.7% |
| 2010 | 44.5% | +3.2% |
| 2011 | 43.7% | -1.8% |
| 2012 | 43.6% | -0.2% |
| 2013 | 43.4% | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 43.3% | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 45.1% | +4.2% |
| 2016 | 45.8% | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 46.5% | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 46.2% | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 44.8% | -2.9% |
| 2020 | 45.8% | +2.3% |
| 2021 | 46.3% | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 46.4% | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 44.3% | -4.5% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in North America 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 | +37.2% | 14.4% | 19.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 18.2% | 13.4% | 22.1% | 10 |
| 1970s | 18.5% | 12.6% | 24.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 19.0% | 15.1% | 25.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 24.1% | 19.2% | 28.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 36.5% | 30.1% | 43.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 44.7% | 43.3% | 46.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 45.7% | 44.3% | 46.4% | 4 |
Countries ranked near North America
More private sector data for North America
- Merchandise trade 20.6% (2025)
- Food imports 7.3% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 77.9% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 4.09 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 10.3% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 52.8% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 2.74 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 7,145 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.0828 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 4.2 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in North America?
- Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in North America was 44.3% in 2023, according to Staff estimates, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside recorded in North America?
- The highest recorded value was 46.5% in 2017.
- What is the lowest merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside recorded in North America?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.6% in 1971.
- How does North America rank for merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside?
- North America ranks 2nd out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside rising or falling in North America?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this North America 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.