Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies within in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies within was 2.3% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies within in United Kingdom, 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 within in United Kingdom stood at 2.3%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 8.3% on the previous year and up 29.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies within in United Kingdom peaked at 2.7% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 1980.
That places United Kingdom 173rd out of 203 countries 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 within in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | % of total merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.3% | — |
| 1961 | 0.3% | +7.0% |
| 1962 | 0.4% | +21.2% |
| 1963 | 0.4% | +16.0% |
| 1964 | 0.4% | -13.3% |
| 1965 | 0.3% | -3.8% |
| 1966 | 0.3% | -8.7% |
| 1967 | 0.2% | -28.2% |
| 1968 | 0.2% | +2.9% |
| 1969 | 0.2% | -12.9% |
| 1970 | 0.2% | -8.4% |
| 1971 | 0.2% | -11.3% |
| 1972 | 0.2% | -0.9% |
| 1973 | 0.2% | +40.9% |
| 1974 | 0.2% | -29.3% |
| 1975 | 0.2% | -5.6% |
| 1976 | 0.2% | +38.0% |
| 1977 | 0.2% | -17.3% |
| 1978 | 0.2% | +1.5% |
| 1979 | 0.2% | -12.5% |
| 1980 | 0.1% | -31.2% |
| 1981 | 0.3% | +145.8% |
| 1982 | 0.4% | +51.9% |
| 1983 | 0.3% | -23.9% |
| 1984 | 0.3% | -7.1% |
| 1985 | 0.7% | +134.9% |
| 1986 | 0.5% | -22.7% |
| 1987 | 0.6% | +13.7% |
| 1988 | 0.5% | -10.7% |
| 1989 | 0.5% | -8.8% |
| 1990 | 0.5% | +0.1% |
| 1991 | 0.4% | -22.5% |
| 1992 | 0.4% | +6.2% |
| 1993 | 0.5% | +34.1% |
| 1994 | 0.6% | +6.6% |
| 1995 | 0.6% | +7.6% |
| 1996 | 0.6% | +5.1% |
| 1997 | 0.7% | +10.7% |
| 1998 | 0.8% | +12.7% |
| 1999 | 0.7% | -4.4% |
| 2000 | 0.8% | +8.5% |
| 2001 | 0.9% | +14.5% |
| 2002 | 1.2% | +29.7% |
| 2003 | 1.3% | +11.3% |
| 2004 | 1.5% | +15.3% |
| 2005 | 1.6% | +4.6% |
| 2006 | 2.0% | +27.0% |
| 2007 | 2.0% | -2.6% |
| 2008 | 1.7% | -16.5% |
| 2009 | 1.6% | -4.5% |
| 2010 | 1.5% | -4.0% |
| 2011 | 1.5% | +1.1% |
| 2012 | 1.7% | +11.8% |
| 2013 | 1.8% | +1.9% |
| 2014 | 1.8% | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 2.0% | +11.9% |
| 2016 | 2.2% | +12.4% |
| 2017 | 1.9% | -14.0% |
| 2018 | 2.2% | +12.5% |
| 2019 | 2.6% | +18.5% |
| 2020 | 2.4% | -6.4% |
| 2021 | 2.7% | +14.6% |
| 2022 | 2.5% | -10.0% |
| 2023 | 2.3% | -8.3% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 2.3% is below the median for high income countries, which is 4.5%, 51% of the median. (71 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 2.3% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 4.2%, 54% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies within in United Kingdom 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | +145.8% | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| 1985 | +134.9% | 0.3% | 0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.4% | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.4% | 0.1% | 0.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.6% | 0.4% | 0.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.5% | 0.8% | 2.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.9% | 1.5% | 2.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.5% | 2.3% | 2.7% | 4 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
More private sector data for United Kingdom
- Merchandise trade 37.6% (2025)
- Food imports 9.8% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 56.7% (2025)
- Merchandise imports 948.64 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 6.7% (2025)
- Manufactures exports 59.3% (2025)
- Merchandise exports 555.83 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 7,999 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1389 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 6.02 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies within in United Kingdom?
- Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies within in United Kingdom was 2.3% in 2023, according to Staff estimates, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies within recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 2.7% in 2021.
- What is the lowest merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies within recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 1980.
- How does United Kingdom rank for merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies within?
- United Kingdom ranks 173rd out of 203 countries with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies within rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is up 29.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
- The figures come from Staff estimates, World Bank (WB), published as part of Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies within 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 within region are the sum of merchandise imports by the reporting economy from other low- and middle-income economies in the same World Bank region according to the World Bank classification of economies. Data are 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. No figures are shown for high-income economies, because they are a separate category in the World Bank classification of economies.