Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in World
World: Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside was 23.2% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in World, 1960–2023
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 World stood at 23.2%.
That represents a change of down 1.6% on the previous year and up 11.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in World peaked at 23.6% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 10.5%, in 1988.
World ranks 30th of 47 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in World, year by year
| Year | % of total merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 16.0% | — |
| 1961 | 15.3% | -4.4% |
| 1962 | 15.4% | +0.7% |
| 1963 | 15.4% | -0.2% |
| 1964 | 15.5% | +0.7% |
| 1965 | 15.0% | -3.0% |
| 1966 | 15.0% | -0.4% |
| 1967 | 14.2% | -4.9% |
| 1968 | 13.9% | -2.2% |
| 1969 | 13.7% | -1.9% |
| 1970 | 13.2% | -3.6% |
| 1971 | 12.6% | -4.4% |
| 1972 | 12.4% | -1.8% |
| 1973 | 12.8% | +3.1% |
| 1974 | 15.8% | +24.2% |
| 1975 | 15.0% | -5.1% |
| 1976 | 15.3% | +2.1% |
| 1977 | 15.8% | +3.0% |
| 1978 | 14.6% | -7.4% |
| 1979 | 15.2% | +3.6% |
| 1980 | 15.3% | +1.0% |
| 1981 | 13.3% | -13.4% |
| 1982 | 13.6% | +2.3% |
| 1983 | 14.0% | +3.3% |
| 1984 | 13.9% | -1.0% |
| 1985 | 13.7% | -1.0% |
| 1986 | 11.1% | -19.3% |
| 1987 | 10.8% | -2.5% |
| 1988 | 10.5% | -3.0% |
| 1989 | 11.0% | +4.9% |
| 1990 | 11.0% | +0.6% |
| 1991 | 10.8% | -2.4% |
| 1992 | 10.9% | +0.8% |
| 1993 | 11.4% | +5.3% |
| 1994 | 11.5% | +0.7% |
| 1995 | 11.5% | -0.5% |
| 1996 | 12.1% | +5.7% |
| 1997 | 12.6% | +3.7% |
| 1998 | 12.9% | +2.9% |
| 1999 | 13.2% | +1.8% |
| 2000 | 14.1% | +7.0% |
| 2001 | 14.5% | +2.7% |
| 2002 | 14.9% | +2.8% |
| 2003 | 15.4% | +3.5% |
| 2004 | 16.0% | +4.0% |
| 2005 | 17.1% | +7.0% |
| 2006 | 18.0% | +5.1% |
| 2007 | 18.5% | +2.6% |
| 2008 | 19.3% | +4.5% |
| 2009 | 19.6% | +1.9% |
| 2010 | 20.7% | +5.5% |
| 2011 | 20.7% | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 21.1% | +2.2% |
| 2013 | 20.8% | -1.6% |
| 2014 | 21.1% | +1.6% |
| 2015 | 21.7% | +2.8% |
| 2016 | 21.6% | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 22.1% | +2.1% |
| 2018 | 21.9% | -0.7% |
| 2019 | 22.1% | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 22.5% | +2.1% |
| 2021 | 22.9% | +1.4% |
| 2022 | 23.6% | +3.1% |
| 2023 | 23.2% | -1.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 15.0% | 13.7% | 16.0% | 10 |
| 1970s | 14.3% | 12.4% | 15.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 12.7% | 10.5% | 15.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 11.8% | 10.8% | 13.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 16.7% | 14.1% | 19.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 21.4% | 20.7% | 22.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 23.0% | 22.5% | 23.6% | 4 |
Countries ranked near World
- 27 Yemen 41.5% compare
- 28 Syria 40.5% compare
- 29 Venezuela 40.2% compare
- 30 Saudi Arabia 39.1% compare
- 31 Paraguay 38.9% compare
- 32 Uzbekistan 38.8% compare
- 33 South Africa 38.6% compare
More private sector data for World
- Merchandise trade 43.9% (2025)
- Food imports 8.9% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 67.4% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 26.69 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 9.1% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 69.3% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 26.39 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 3,212 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.223 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 7.17 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in World?
- Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in World was 23.2% in 2023, according to Staff estimates, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside recorded in World?
- The highest recorded value was 23.6% in 2022.
- What is the lowest merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside recorded in World?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.5% in 1988.
- How does World rank for merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside?
- World ranks 30th out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside rising or falling in World?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this World 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.
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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.