Kiribati: Merchandise imports by the reporting economy, residual (% of total merchandise imports)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, Kiribati's merchandise imports by the reporting economy, residual (% of total merchandise imports) did not change 0 percentage points on 2022 (from 0% to 0%).

Across the 22 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2022), the average change was +0 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.04 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.0 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 0.14 percentage points in 2017 and the biggest yearly fall was 0.14 percentage points in 2018. 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 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 3% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

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

How it compares

In 2023, Kiribati had the 144th 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 Kiribati in the 2023 ranking

• Guam — 164th of 205: 0%
• Guinea — 165th of 205: 0%
• Iraq — 166th of 205: 0%
• Lao PDR — 168th of 205: 0%
• Lesotho — 169th of 205: 0%
• Liberia — 170th of 205: 0%

What this measures

Merchandise imports by the reporting economy residuals 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, less the sum of imports by the reporting economy from high-, low-, and middle-income economies according to the World Bank classification of economies. Includes trade with unspecified partners or with economies not covered by World Bank classification. Data are as a percentage of total merchandise imports by the economy.

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

All 24 values

Merchandise imports by the reporting economy, residual (% of total merchandise imports) in nearby economies

• American Samoa — 0% (2023)
• Australia — 0.000353% (2023)
• Brunei Darussalam — 0% (2023)
• Cambodia — 0% (2023)
• China — 0.03% (2023)
• Fiji — 0% (2023)
• French Polynesia — 0% (2023)
• Guam

More private sector & trade data for Kiribati

• Merchandise imports (current US$) — US$496 million (2025)
• Merchandise exports (current US$) — US$20 million (2025)
• Merchandise trade (% of GDP) — 147.76% (2025)
• Agricultural raw materials imports (% of merchandise imports) — 2.3% (2021)
• Food imports (% of merchandise imports) — 41.44% (2021)
• Fuel imports (% of merchandise imports) — 12.54% (2021)
• Manufactures imports (% of merchandise imports) — 43.01% (2021)
• Ores and metals imports (% of merchandise imports) — 0.4% (2021)
• Food exports (% of merchandise exports) — 97.22% (2021)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Kiribati's merchandise imports by the reporting economy, residual (% of total merchandise imports)?

0% in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2000?

It is unchanged since 2000. The highest value was 0.14% in 2017 and the lowest 0% in 2000.

How does Kiribati rank?

144th highest of 205 economies with data for 2023.

Is the latest change in merchandise imports by the reporting economy, residual (% of total merchandise imports) unusual for Kiribati?

In 2023, Kiribati's merchandise imports by the reporting economy, residual (% of total merchandise imports) did not change 0 percentage points on 2022 (from 0% to 0%). Across the 22 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2022), the average change was +0 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.04 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.0 standard deviations above 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.RS.ZS, 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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