Kuwait: Merchandise exports by the reporting economy (current US$)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, Kuwait's merchandise exports by the reporting economy (current US$) fell 5.1% on 2022 (from US$6.24 billion to US$5.92 billion).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was +64.5% and a typical year strayed about 328.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 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 1,791.9% in 1996 and the biggest yearly fall was 92.4% in 1995. 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 10% 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, Kuwait had the 115th 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 Kuwait in the 2023 ranking

• Georgia — 111th of 205: US$6.09 billion
• Uganda — 112th of 205: US$6.01 billion
• Honduras — 113th of 205: US$5.94 billion
• Namibia — 115th of 205: US$5.68 billion
• Botswana — 116th of 205: US$5.08 billion
• Senegal — 117th of 205: US$5.05 billion

What this measures

Merchandise exports by the reporting economy are the total merchandise exports by the reporting economy to the rest of the world, as reported in the IMF's Direction of trade database. Data are in current US$.

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

All 51 values

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

• Afghanistan — US$438.77 million (2023)
• Algeria — US$54.86 billion (2023)
• Bahrain — US$12.27 billion (2023)
• Djibouti — US$4.79 billion (2023)
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — US$38.98 billion (2023)
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — US$14.07 billion (2023)
• Iraq — US$107.39 billion (2023)
• Israel — US$59.13 billion (2023)
• Jordan — US$11.12 billion (2023)

More private sector & trade data for Kuwait

• Merchandise imports (current US$) — US$41.61 billion (2025)
• Merchandise exports (current US$) — US$72.07 billion (2025)
• Merchandise trade (% of GDP) — 72.31% (2025)
• Merchandise imports from economies in the Arab World (% of total merchandise imports) — 18.76% (2023)
• Merchandise imports from high-income economies (% of total merchandise imports) — 60.32% (2023)
• Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside region (% of total merchandise imports) — 36.4% (2023)
• Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in East Asia & Pacific (% of total merchandise imports) — 24.54% (2023)
• Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in Middle East & North Africa (% of total merchandise imports)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Kuwait's merchandise exports by the reporting economy (current US$)?

US$5.92 billion in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1973?

It is up 83.64% from US$3.23 billion in 1973 (1.22% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$19.19 billion in 1980 and the lowest US$723.33 million in 1995.

How does Kuwait rank?

115th highest of 205 economies with data for 2023.

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

In 2023, Kuwait's merchandise exports by the reporting economy (current US$) fell 5.1% on 2022 (from US$6.24 billion to US$5.92 billion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was +64.5% and a typical year strayed about 328.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 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 TX.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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