Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates: Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside was 56.4% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in United Arab Emirates, 1970–2023
Source: Staff estimates, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of total merchandise imports.
Analysis
United Arab Emirates recorded 56.4% for merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in 2023. That is the highest value across all 54 years on record.
The figure is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 43.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in United Arab Emirates peaked at 56.4% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 7.4%, in 1978.
That places United Arab Emirates 7th 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 United Arab Emirates, year by year
| Year | % of total merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 11.4% | — |
| 1971 | 10.2% | -10.4% |
| 1972 | 9.8% | -3.5% |
| 1973 | 9.7% | -1.1% |
| 1974 | 10.6% | +9.6% |
| 1975 | 9.0% | -15.8% |
| 1976 | 9.3% | +3.5% |
| 1977 | 9.0% | -2.6% |
| 1978 | 7.4% | -18.0% |
| 1979 | 8.2% | +11.3% |
| 1980 | 8.9% | +7.5% |
| 1981 | 7.9% | -11.3% |
| 1982 | 7.7% | -2.7% |
| 1983 | 10.5% | +37.1% |
| 1984 | 10.4% | -1.0% |
| 1985 | 11.4% | +9.4% |
| 1986 | 12.7% | +11.7% |
| 1987 | 13.5% | +6.0% |
| 1988 | 15.6% | +16.1% |
| 1989 | 17.4% | +11.6% |
| 1990 | 18.9% | +8.4% |
| 1991 | 21.1% | +11.5% |
| 1992 | 20.5% | -2.8% |
| 1993 | 22.5% | +10.1% |
| 1994 | 22.4% | -0.6% |
| 1995 | 25.1% | +12.1% |
| 1996 | 25.9% | +3.0% |
| 1997 | 24.9% | -3.7% |
| 1998 | 23.1% | -7.3% |
| 1999 | 22.1% | -4.5% |
| 2000 | 23.7% | +7.5% |
| 2001 | 22.9% | -3.3% |
| 2002 | 23.0% | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 29.6% | +29.0% |
| 2004 | 34.6% | +16.7% |
| 2005 | 36.1% | +4.5% |
| 2006 | 34.5% | -4.6% |
| 2007 | 38.0% | +10.3% |
| 2008 | 39.4% | +3.7% |
| 2009 | 38.8% | -1.7% |
| 2010 | 43.6% | +12.6% |
| 2011 | 43.8% | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 44.7% | +2.1% |
| 2013 | 39.4% | -12.0% |
| 2014 | 40.2% | +2.0% |
| 2015 | 41.0% | +2.0% |
| 2016 | 42.0% | +2.6% |
| 2017 | 47.4% | +12.7% |
| 2018 | 45.1% | -4.8% |
| 2019 | 49.4% | +9.6% |
| 2020 | 53.2% | +7.6% |
| 2021 | 56.2% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | 55.7% | -0.9% |
| 2023 | 56.4% | +1.2% |
United Arab Emirates compared with similar countries
- United Arab Emirates's 56.4% is above the median for high income countries, which is 11.2%, 5.0× the median. (74 countries reporting)
- United Arab Emirates's 56.4% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 38.3%, 1.5× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 9.5% | 7.4% | 11.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 11.6% | 7.7% | 17.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 22.7% | 18.9% | 25.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 32.1% | 22.9% | 39.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 43.7% | 39.4% | 49.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 55.4% | 53.2% | 56.4% | 4 |
Countries ranked near United Arab Emirates
More private sector data for United Arab Emirates
- Merchandise trade 208.2% (2024)
- Food imports 5.0% (2023)
- Manufactures imports 54.9% (2023)
- Merchandise imports 618.88 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 2.9% (2023)
- Manufactures exports 8.8% (2023)
- Merchandise exports 706.67 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 61,380 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 1.1 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 16.69 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in United Arab Emirates?
- Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in United Arab Emirates was 56.4% in 2023, according to Staff estimates, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside recorded in United Arab Emirates?
- The highest recorded value was 56.4% in 2023.
- What is the lowest merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside recorded in United Arab Emirates?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.4% in 1978.
- How does United Arab Emirates rank for merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside?
- United Arab Emirates ranks 7th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside rising or falling in United Arab Emirates?
- Over the last ten years it is up 43.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this United Arab Emirates 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 — 54 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.