Iran, Islamic Rep.: Merchandise imports (current US$)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, Iran, Islamic Rep.'s merchandise imports (current US$) fell 5.4% on 2024 (from US$69.41 billion to US$65.63 billion).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +6.6% and a typical year strayed about 15.3% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.8 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 90.4% in 1975 and the biggest yearly fall was 35.7% in 1994. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2016 to 2025 the straight-line trend is upward, about US$2.95 billion a year. A straight line explains 65% 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 2025, Iran, Islamic Rep. had the 54th highest value of the 204 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 Iran, Islamic Rep. in the 2025 ranking

• Colombia — 51st of 204: US$70.5 billion
• Bangladesh — 52nd of 204: US$69.37 billion
• Pakistan — 53rd of 204: US$65.85 billion
• Kazakhstan — 55th of 204: US$64.46 billion
• Bulgaria — 56th of 204: US$60.89 billion
• Peru — 57th of 204: US$60.63 billion

What this measures

Merchandise imports includes goods whose economic ownership is changed from a non-resident to a resident and that are not included in the following specific categories: goods under merchanting, non-monetary gold, and parts of travel, construction, and government goods and services n.i.e. 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: The value of imports is generally recorded as the cost of the goods when purchased by the importer plus the cost of transport and insurance to the frontier of the importing country - the cost, insurance, and freight (c.i.f.) value, corresponding to the landed cost at the point of entry of foreign goods into the country. A few countries collect import data on a free on board (f.o.b.) basis and adjust them for freight and insurance costs. Countries may report trade according to the general or special system of trade. Under the general system imports include goods imported for domestic consumption and imports into bonded warehouses and free trade zones.

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

All 66 values

Merchandise imports (current US$) in nearby economies

• Afghanistan — US$3.61 billion (2025)
• Algeria — US$50.1 billion (2025)
• Bahrain — US$16.45 billion (2025)
• Djibouti — US$6.26 billion (2025)
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — US$97.54 billion (2025)
• Iraq — US$85.19 billion (2025)
• Israel — US$95.48 billion (2025)
• Jordan — US$28.95 billion (2025)
• Kuwait — US$41.61 billion (2025)
• Lebanon — US$21.67 billion (2025)
• Libya

More private sector & trade data for Iran, Islamic Rep.

• Merchandise trade (% of GDP) — 49.32% (2025)
• Merchandise exports (current US$) — US$113.23 billion (2025)
• Merchandise imports from economies in the Arab World (% of total merchandise imports) — 30.34% (2023)
• Merchandise imports from high-income economies (% of total merchandise imports) — 50.61% (2023)
• Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside region (% of total merchandise imports) — 48.54% (2023)
• Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in South Asia (% of total merchandise imports) — 3.32% (2023)
• Merchandise imports by the reporting economy, residual (% of total merchandise imports)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Iran, Islamic Rep.'s merchandise imports (current US$)?

US$65.63 billion in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1960?

It is up 11,620% from US$560 million in 1960 (7.6% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$69.41 billion in 2024 and the lowest US$524 million in 1963.

How does Iran, Islamic Rep. rank?

54th highest of 204 economies with data for 2025.

Is the latest change in merchandise imports (current US$) unusual for Iran, Islamic Rep.?

In 2025, Iran, Islamic Rep.'s merchandise imports (current US$) fell 5.4% on 2024 (from US$69.41 billion to US$65.63 billion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +6.6% and a typical year strayed about 15.3% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.8 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.CD.WT, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: World Trade Organization (WTO) 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.

Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.