Burundi: Merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, Burundi's merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$) fell 8% on 2022 (from US$1.04 billion to US$959.12 million).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was +9.2% and a typical year strayed about 24.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.7 standard deviations below 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 59.5% in 2006 and the biggest yearly fall was 39.6% in 1996. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2014 to 2023 the straight-line trend is upward, about US$50.28 million a year. A straight line explains 73% 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

In 2023, Burundi had the 182nd highest value of the 205 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Burundi in the 2023 ranking

• Greenland — 179th of 205: US$1.21 billion
• Sint Maarten (Dutch part) — 180th of 205: US$1.17 billion
• Equatorial Guinea — 181st of 205: US$1.12 billion
• Timor-Leste — 183rd of 205: US$897.22 million
• Central African Republic — 184th of 205: US$736.21 million
• Antigua and Barbuda — 185th of 205: US$668.07 million

What this measures

Merchandise imports by the reporting economy are the total merchandise imports by the reporting economy from the rest of the world, as reported in the IMF's Direction of trade database. Data are in current U.S. dollars.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.

All 55 values

Merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$) in nearby economies

• Angola — US$15.69 billion (2023)
• Benin — US$3.91 billion (2023)
• Botswana — US$5.89 billion (2023)
• Burkina Faso — US$5.88 billion (2023)
• Cabo Verde — US$1.74 billion (2023)
• Cameroon — US$8.62 billion (2023)
• Central African Republic — US$736.21 million (2023)
• Chad — US$1.39 billion (2023)
• Comoros — US$354.4 million (2023)

More private sector & trade data for Burundi

• Merchandise trade (% of GDP) — 45.17% (2025)
• Merchandise imports (current US$) — US$1.19 billion (2025)
• Merchandise exports (current US$) — US$332 million (2025)
• Merchandise imports from high-income economies (% of total merchandise imports) — 44.81% (2023)
• Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside region (% of total merchandise imports) — 21.64% (2023)
• Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in East Asia & Pacific (% of total merchandise imports) — 17.59% (2023)
• Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in South Asia (% of total merchandise imports) — 0.47% (2023)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Burundi's merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$)?

US$959.12 million in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1969?

It is up 6,088% from US$15.5 million in 1969 (7.94% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$1.04 billion in 2022 and the lowest US$15.5 million in 1969.

How does Burundi rank?

182nd highest of 205 economies with data for 2023.

Is the latest change in merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$) unusual for Burundi?

In 2023, Burundi's merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$) fell 8% on 2022 (from US$1.04 billion to US$959.12 million). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was +9.2% and a typical year strayed about 24.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.7 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator TM.VAL.MRCH.WL.CD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Staff estimates, World Bank (WB); Direction of Trade database, International Monetary Fund (IMF) 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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