Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Pakistan
Pakistan: Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside was 44.9% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Pakistan, 1960–2023
Source: Staff estimates, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of total merchandise imports.
Analysis
Pakistan recorded 44.9% for merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.8% on the previous year and up 52.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Pakistan peaked at 51.5% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 3.8%, in 1965.
Pakistan ranks 21st of 206 countries 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 Pakistan, year by year
| Year | % of total merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 9.6% | — |
| 1961 | 10.0% | +3.9% |
| 1962 | 5.2% | -47.5% |
| 1963 | 7.8% | +48.7% |
| 1964 | 6.5% | -17.0% |
| 1965 | 3.8% | -41.5% |
| 1966 | 8.4% | +120.6% |
| 1967 | 8.1% | -2.6% |
| 1968 | 7.3% | -10.4% |
| 1969 | 6.3% | -13.1% |
| 1970 | 7.2% | +13.9% |
| 1971 | 9.7% | +34.4% |
| 1972 | 14.3% | +47.5% |
| 1973 | 11.6% | -18.7% |
| 1974 | 11.6% | -0.1% |
| 1975 | 11.5% | -0.9% |
| 1976 | 9.6% | -16.5% |
| 1977 | 10.1% | +4.5% |
| 1978 | 10.7% | +6.5% |
| 1979 | 13.1% | +22.0% |
| 1980 | 13.4% | +2.5% |
| 1981 | 10.4% | -22.6% |
| 1982 | 10.1% | -3.1% |
| 1983 | 12.4% | +23.3% |
| 1984 | 15.3% | +23.2% |
| 1985 | 14.5% | -4.9% |
| 1986 | 13.3% | -8.4% |
| 1987 | 15.6% | +17.3% |
| 1988 | 14.5% | -6.8% |
| 1989 | 15.9% | +9.3% |
| 1990 | 17.5% | +10.0% |
| 1991 | 18.7% | +6.9% |
| 1992 | 18.0% | -3.6% |
| 1993 | 18.3% | +1.7% |
| 1994 | 20.7% | +13.0% |
| 1995 | 23.2% | +12.3% |
| 1996 | 20.3% | -12.5% |
| 1997 | 20.4% | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 24.5% | +20.4% |
| 1999 | 22.7% | -7.4% |
| 2000 | 21.4% | -5.7% |
| 2001 | 21.9% | +2.0% |
| 2002 | 23.3% | +6.5% |
| 2003 | 23.2% | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 24.1% | +4.0% |
| 2005 | 26.5% | +9.9% |
| 2006 | 24.6% | -7.3% |
| 2007 | 28.8% | +17.1% |
| 2008 | 28.6% | -0.7% |
| 2009 | 30.5% | +6.7% |
| 2010 | 32.6% | +6.8% |
| 2011 | 31.2% | -4.3% |
| 2012 | 30.7% | -1.7% |
| 2013 | 29.5% | -3.6% |
| 2014 | 35.9% | +21.6% |
| 2015 | 42.3% | +17.7% |
| 2016 | 46.0% | +8.8% |
| 2017 | 44.7% | -2.9% |
| 2018 | 42.4% | -5.3% |
| 2019 | 44.9% | +6.1% |
| 2020 | 50.0% | +11.3% |
| 2021 | 51.5% | +2.9% |
| 2022 | 46.7% | -9.3% |
| 2023 | 44.9% | -3.8% |
Pakistan compared with similar countries
- Pakistan's 44.9% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 29.9%, 1.5× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Pakistan's 44.9% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 38.3%, 1.2× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Pakistan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | +120.6% | 3.8% | 8.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 7.3% | 3.8% | 10.0% | 10 |
| 1970s | 11.0% | 7.2% | 14.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 13.5% | 10.1% | 15.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 20.4% | 17.5% | 24.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 25.3% | 21.4% | 30.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 38.0% | 29.5% | 46.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 48.3% | 44.9% | 51.5% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Pakistan
More private sector data for Pakistan
- Merchandise trade 23.7% (2025)
- Food imports 14.1% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 46.1% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 65.85 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 24.4% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 67.9% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 30.55 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 119.68 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.075 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate -5.49 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Pakistan?
- Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Pakistan was 44.9% in 2023, according to Staff estimates, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside recorded in Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 51.5% in 2021.
- What is the lowest merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.8% in 1965.
- How does Pakistan rank for merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside?
- Pakistan ranks 21st out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 52.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Pakistan 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
CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
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.