Congo, Dem. Rep.: Merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, Congo, Dem. Rep.'s merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$) rose 122.9% on 2022 (from US$11.44 billion to US$25.49 billion).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was +16.8% and a typical year strayed about 42.9% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.5 standard deviations above that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 159.3% in 2000 and the biggest yearly fall was 38.3% in 2009. 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$991.58 million a year. A straight line explains 32% 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, Congo, Dem. Rep. had the 75th 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 Congo, Dem. Rep. in the 2023 ranking

• Dominican Republic — 71st of 205: US$28.62 billion
• Latvia — 72nd of 205: US$27.34 billion
• Luxembourg — 73rd of 205: US$26.22 billion
• Jordan — 75th of 205: US$25.43 billion
• Tunisia — 76th of 205: US$25.05 billion
• Cambodia — 77th of 205: US$23.51 billion

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 60 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)
• Burundi — US$959.12 million (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)

More private sector & trade data for Congo, Dem. Rep.

• Merchandise trade (% of GDP) — 66.13% (2025)
• Merchandise imports (current US$) — US$28.1 billion (2025)
• Merchandise exports (current US$) — US$32.1 billion (2025)
• Merchandise imports from high-income economies (% of total merchandise imports) — 43.85% (2023)
• Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside region (% of total merchandise imports) — 36.59% (2023)
• Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in Sub-Saharan Africa (% of total merchandise imports) — 19.56% (2023)
• Merchandise imports by the reporting economy, residual (% of total merchandise imports) — 0% (2023)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Congo, Dem. Rep.'s merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$)?

US$25.49 billion in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1963?

It is up 13,945% from US$181.5 million in 1963 (8.59% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$25.49 billion in 2023 and the lowest US$162.9 million in 1967.

How does Congo, Dem. Rep. rank?

75th highest of 205 economies with data for 2023.

Is the latest change in merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$) unusual for Congo, Dem. Rep.?

In 2023, Congo, Dem. Rep.'s merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$) rose 122.9% on 2022 (from US$11.44 billion to US$25.49 billion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was +16.8% and a typical year strayed about 42.9% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.5 standard deviations above that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

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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