Arab World: Imports of goods and services (current US$)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Arab World's imports of goods and services (current US$) rose 9.3% on 2023 (from US$1.46 trillion to US$1.6 trillion).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +7.9% and a typical year strayed about 11.4% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 30.8% in 2007 and the biggest yearly fall was 13% in 2020. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is upward, about US$61.41 billion a year. A straight line explains 69% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

See how every economy compares in the full ranking.

What this measures

Imports of goods includes change in the economic ownership of goods from non-residents to residents of the compiling economy, irrespective of physical movement of goods across national borders. Imports of services includes services provided by non-residents to residents. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This indicator is expressed in United States dollars.

Limitations: Because policymakers have tended to focus on fostering the growth of output, and because data on production are easier to collect than data on spending, many countries generate their primary estimate of GDP using the production approach. Moreover, many countries do not estimate all the components of national expenditures but instead derive some of the main aggregates indirectly using GDP (based on the production approach) as the control total. Data on exports and imports are compiled from customs reports and balance of payments data.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a gap-filled total.

All 35 values

Imports of goods and services (current US$) in nearby economies

• Afghanistan — US$12.1 billion (2024)
• Algeria — US$63.56 billion (2025)
• Bahrain — US$33.04 billion (2024)
• Djibouti — US$4.43 billion (2025)
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — US$115.11 billion (2025)
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — US$125.08 billion (2025)
• Iraq — US$104.52 billion (2024)
• Israel — US$155.33 billion (2025)
• Kuwait — US$61.52 billion (2024)
• Lebanon — US$15.3 billion (2024)

More economic policy & debt data for Arab World

• GDP (current US$) — US$3.8 trillion (2025)
• GDP per capita (current US$) — US$7,544 (2025)
• GNI (current US$) — US$3.83 trillion (2025)
• GDP (constant 2015 US$) — US$3.22 trillion (2025)
• GDP per capita (constant 2015 US$) — US$6,404 (2025)
• GDP (annual % growth) — 3.68% (2025)
• GDP per capita (annual % growth) — 1.46% (2025)
• General government final consumption expenditure (current US$) — US$658.27 billion (2025)
• General government final consumption expenditure (% of GDP) — 17.33% (2025)
• Households and NPISHs final consumption expenditure (current US$)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Arab World's imports of goods and services (current US$)?

US$1.6 trillion in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1990?

It is up 818.47% from US$174.24 billion in 1990 (6.74% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$1.6 trillion in 2024 and the lowest US$164.37 billion in 1994.

Is the latest change in imports of goods and services (current US$) unusual for Arab World?

In 2024, Arab World's imports of goods and services (current US$) rose 9.3% on 2023 (from US$1.46 trillion to US$1.6 trillion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +7.9% and a typical year strayed about 11.4% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Where does this data come from?

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator NE.IMP.GNFS.CD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs); National Accounts data files, Central Banks; Staff estimates, World Bank (WB) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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