Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Upper middle income
Upper middle income: Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside was 19.7% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Upper middle income, 1960–2023
Source: Staff estimates, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of total merchandise imports.
Analysis
Upper middle income recorded 19.7% for merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in 2023. That is the highest value across all 64 years on record.
The figure is up 3.2% on the previous year and up 6.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Upper middle income peaked at 19.7% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 3.5%, in 1961.
That places Upper middle income 36th out of 47 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom 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 Upper middle income, year by year
| Year | % of total merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 3.9% | — |
| 1961 | 3.5% | -8.6% |
| 1962 | 3.6% | +2.3% |
| 1963 | 3.7% | +3.4% |
| 1964 | 4.4% | +17.3% |
| 1965 | 4.0% | -9.4% |
| 1966 | 4.6% | +16.1% |
| 1967 | 3.9% | -15.3% |
| 1968 | 3.9% | +0.3% |
| 1969 | 4.2% | +6.4% |
| 1970 | 4.1% | -1.0% |
| 1971 | 4.0% | -3.4% |
| 1972 | 4.2% | +4.3% |
| 1973 | 5.0% | +20.1% |
| 1974 | 7.5% | +50.5% |
| 1975 | 7.5% | -0.5% |
| 1976 | 8.2% | +10.1% |
| 1977 | 8.0% | -3.4% |
| 1978 | 7.6% | -4.3% |
| 1979 | 8.5% | +12.1% |
| 1980 | 9.3% | +8.5% |
| 1981 | 8.3% | -10.3% |
| 1982 | 9.1% | +10.0% |
| 1983 | 10.1% | +10.7% |
| 1984 | 10.0% | -0.8% |
| 1985 | 10.3% | +2.5% |
| 1986 | 7.6% | -25.9% |
| 1987 | 8.6% | +13.2% |
| 1988 | 7.8% | -9.3% |
| 1989 | 8.2% | +5.4% |
| 1990 | 7.2% | -12.3% |
| 1991 | 5.3% | -26.3% |
| 1992 | 4.6% | -13.4% |
| 1993 | 5.0% | +8.6% |
| 1994 | 4.8% | -3.9% |
| 1995 | 5.4% | +12.0% |
| 1996 | 6.2% | +15.5% |
| 1997 | 6.3% | +0.8% |
| 1998 | 6.1% | -3.1% |
| 1999 | 6.2% | +2.0% |
| 2000 | 7.3% | +18.1% |
| 2001 | 8.1% | +9.8% |
| 2002 | 8.3% | +3.2% |
| 2003 | 9.7% | +16.6% |
| 2004 | 11.0% | +13.4% |
| 2005 | 12.0% | +9.0% |
| 2006 | 13.1% | +9.3% |
| 2007 | 14.2% | +8.6% |
| 2008 | 15.9% | +11.6% |
| 2009 | 15.8% | -0.5% |
| 2010 | 16.8% | +6.1% |
| 2011 | 17.8% | +6.4% |
| 2012 | 18.3% | +2.6% |
| 2013 | 18.5% | +1.3% |
| 2014 | 18.7% | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 17.5% | -6.4% |
| 2016 | 17.2% | -2.0% |
| 2017 | 17.7% | +3.2% |
| 2018 | 18.1% | +2.3% |
| 2019 | 18.4% | +1.7% |
| 2020 | 18.1% | -1.5% |
| 2021 | 18.5% | +2.0% |
| 2022 | 19.1% | +3.1% |
| 2023 | 19.7% | +3.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 4.0% | 3.5% | 4.6% | 10 |
| 1970s | 6.5% | 4.0% | 8.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 8.9% | 7.6% | 10.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.7% | 4.6% | 7.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.5% | 7.3% | 15.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 17.9% | 16.8% | 18.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 18.8% | 18.1% | 19.7% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Upper middle income
More private sector data for Upper middle income
- Merchandise trade 42.8% (2025)
- Food imports 8.5% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 59.5% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 6.62 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 9.5% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 75.8% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 7.67 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 2,493 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.2289 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 6.45 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Upper middle income?
- Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Upper middle income was 19.7% in 2023, according to Staff estimates, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside recorded in Upper middle income?
- The highest recorded value was 19.7% in 2023.
- What is the lowest merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside recorded in Upper middle income?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.5% in 1961.
- How does Upper middle income rank for merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside?
- Upper middle income ranks 36th out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside rising or falling in Upper middle income?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Upper middle income 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
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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.