Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Rwanda
Rwanda: Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside was 36.9% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Rwanda, 1964–2023
Source: Staff estimates, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of total merchandise imports.
Analysis
The most recent figure for merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Rwanda is 36.9%, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 0.9% on the previous year and up 13.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Rwanda peaked at 39.6% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 1.7%, in 1995.
Rwanda ranks 39th of 206 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
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 Rwanda, year by year
| Year | % of total merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1964 | 2.4% | — |
| 1966 | 2.3% | -5.4% |
| 1967 | 4.9% | +113.6% |
| 1968 | 4.6% | -6.7% |
| 1969 | 3.2% | -31.3% |
| 1970 | 2.7% | -14.4% |
| 1971 | 7.4% | +174.1% |
| 1972 | 9.1% | +23.3% |
| 1973 | 11.7% | +28.1% |
| 1974 | 15.6% | +33.4% |
| 1975 | 14.8% | -5.5% |
| 1976 | 17.0% | +15.4% |
| 1977 | 19.7% | +15.8% |
| 1978 | 18.8% | -4.7% |
| 1979 | 21.9% | +16.4% |
| 1980 | 23.0% | +5.1% |
| 1981 | 19.6% | -14.9% |
| 1982 | 9.6% | -51.0% |
| 1983 | 9.5% | -0.7% |
| 1984 | 12.7% | +33.3% |
| 1985 | 13.3% | +5.1% |
| 1986 | 11.0% | -17.2% |
| 1987 | 9.6% | -13.3% |
| 1988 | 9.6% | -0.1% |
| 1989 | 11.5% | +20.0% |
| 1990 | 10.9% | -4.8% |
| 1991 | 12.1% | +11.1% |
| 1992 | 11.7% | -3.4% |
| 1993 | 4.7% | -60.1% |
| 1994 | 3.3% | -29.2% |
| 1995 | 1.7% | -49.3% |
| 1996 | 6.6% | +291.9% |
| 1997 | 7.7% | +16.9% |
| 1998 | 6.8% | -11.0% |
| 1999 | 5.3% | -22.8% |
| 2000 | 23.8% | +351.0% |
| 2001 | 12.2% | -48.9% |
| 2002 | 11.2% | -8.1% |
| 2003 | 12.4% | +10.6% |
| 2004 | 14.0% | +13.4% |
| 2005 | 11.6% | -17.5% |
| 2006 | 10.5% | -9.3% |
| 2007 | 14.6% | +39.5% |
| 2008 | 14.9% | +1.5% |
| 2009 | 19.0% | +27.5% |
| 2010 | 25.1% | +32.6% |
| 2011 | 25.7% | +2.2% |
| 2012 | 30.0% | +16.6% |
| 2013 | 32.6% | +8.8% |
| 2014 | 36.4% | +11.8% |
| 2015 | 38.2% | +4.8% |
| 2016 | 37.0% | -3.1% |
| 2017 | 37.5% | +1.3% |
| 2018 | 37.8% | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 39.6% | +4.7% |
| 2020 | 35.7% | -9.9% |
| 2021 | 36.2% | +1.6% |
| 2022 | 37.2% | +2.7% |
| 2023 | 36.9% | -0.9% |
Rwanda compared with similar countries
- Rwanda's 36.9% is above the median for low income countries, which is 36.9%, 1.0× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Rwanda's 36.9% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 33.0%, 1.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Rwanda 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | +351.0% | 5.3% | 23.8% |
| 1996 | +291.9% | 1.7% | 6.6% |
| 1971 | +174.1% | 2.7% | 7.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.5% | 2.3% | 4.9% | 5 |
| 1970s | 13.9% | 2.7% | 21.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 12.9% | 9.5% | 23.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 7.1% | 1.7% | 12.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 14.4% | 10.5% | 23.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 34.0% | 25.1% | 39.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 36.5% | 35.7% | 37.2% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Rwanda
More private sector data for Rwanda
- Merchandise trade 45.9% (2025)
- Food imports 22.4% (2022)
- Manufactures imports 50.0% (2022)
- Merchandise imports 5.07 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 27.2% (2022)
- Manufactures exports 10.4% (2022)
- Merchandise exports 2.45 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 168.16 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1496 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate -23.46 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Rwanda?
- Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Rwanda was 36.9% in 2023, according to Staff estimates, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside recorded in Rwanda?
- The highest recorded value was 39.6% in 2019.
- What is the lowest merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside recorded in Rwanda?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.7% in 1995.
- How does Rwanda rank for merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside?
- Rwanda ranks 39th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside rising or falling in Rwanda?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Rwanda 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 — 59 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.