Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Somalia
Somalia: Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside was 75.3% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Somalia, 1962–2023
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 Somalia stood at 75.3%. That is the highest value across all 60 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.2% on the previous year and up 69.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Somalia peaked at 75.3% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 4.3%, in 1983.
That places Somalia 1st out of 206 countries with data for 2023, putting it 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 Somalia, year by year
| Year | % of total merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | 22.0% | — |
| 1963 | 24.2% | +9.9% |
| 1964 | 25.2% | +4.5% |
| 1965 | 20.6% | -18.5% |
| 1967 | 14.5% | -29.4% |
| 1968 | 14.7% | +1.1% |
| 1969 | 10.1% | -31.4% |
| 1970 | 9.1% | -9.5% |
| 1971 | 18.6% | +104.5% |
| 1972 | 20.9% | +12.3% |
| 1973 | 27.1% | +29.7% |
| 1974 | 18.5% | -31.9% |
| 1975 | 24.3% | +31.3% |
| 1976 | 8.2% | -66.0% |
| 1977 | 16.4% | +98.7% |
| 1978 | 17.4% | +6.3% |
| 1980 | 10.7% | -38.8% |
| 1981 | 8.8% | -17.0% |
| 1982 | 7.9% | -10.5% |
| 1983 | 4.3% | -45.9% |
| 1984 | 9.2% | +115.4% |
| 1985 | 11.3% | +22.4% |
| 1986 | 14.7% | +30.5% |
| 1987 | 9.9% | -32.4% |
| 1988 | 20.6% | +107.0% |
| 1989 | 15.3% | -25.6% |
| 1990 | 16.1% | +5.1% |
| 1991 | 31.8% | +97.6% |
| 1992 | 33.3% | +4.6% |
| 1993 | 23.6% | -29.1% |
| 1994 | 38.4% | +62.4% |
| 1995 | 51.4% | +34.1% |
| 1996 | 59.6% | +15.8% |
| 1997 | 66.6% | +11.8% |
| 1998 | 68.7% | +3.2% |
| 1999 | 68.7% | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 34.0% | -50.4% |
| 2001 | 44.7% | +31.4% |
| 2002 | 37.7% | -15.6% |
| 2003 | 43.0% | +14.0% |
| 2004 | 49.3% | +14.8% |
| 2005 | 45.4% | -8.0% |
| 2006 | 43.5% | -4.1% |
| 2007 | 41.2% | -5.4% |
| 2008 | 35.0% | -14.8% |
| 2009 | 51.7% | +47.4% |
| 2010 | 38.4% | -25.7% |
| 2011 | 43.8% | +14.1% |
| 2012 | 36.1% | -17.6% |
| 2013 | 44.6% | +23.6% |
| 2014 | 58.0% | +30.1% |
| 2015 | 64.1% | +10.6% |
| 2016 | 68.6% | +7.0% |
| 2017 | 64.2% | -6.5% |
| 2018 | 67.7% | +5.6% |
| 2019 | 65.2% | -3.8% |
| 2020 | 67.1% | +2.9% |
| 2021 | 69.5% | +3.7% |
| 2022 | 73.0% | +5.0% |
| 2023 | 75.3% | +3.2% |
Somalia compared with similar countries
- Somalia's 75.3% is above the median for low income countries, which is 36.9%, 2.0× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Somalia's 75.3% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 33.0%, 2.3× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 18.7% | 10.1% | 25.2% | 7 |
| 1970s | 17.9% | 8.2% | 27.1% | 9 |
| 1980s | 11.3% | 4.3% | 20.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 45.8% | 16.1% | 68.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 42.5% | 34.0% | 51.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 55.1% | 36.1% | 68.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 71.2% | 67.1% | 75.3% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Somalia
More private sector data for Somalia
- Merchandise trade 40.2% (2025)
- Food imports 22.4% (1982)
- Manufactures imports 54.7% (1982)
- Merchandise imports 3.93 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 93.7% (1982)
- Manufactures exports 1.3% (1982)
- Merchandise exports 1.30 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 66.14 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate -11.74 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Somalia?
- Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Somalia was 75.3% in 2023, according to Staff estimates, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside recorded in Somalia?
- The highest recorded value was 75.3% in 2023.
- What is the lowest merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside recorded in Somalia?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.3% in 1983.
- How does Somalia rank for merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside?
- Somalia ranks 1st out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside rising or falling in Somalia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 69.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Somalia 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 — 60 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.