Malawi: Import volume index (2015 = 100)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Malawi's import volume index (2015 = 100) rose 9.3 on 2023 (from 106.8 to 116.1).

Across the 18 yearly changes before that (2006 to 2023), the average change was +2.19 and a typical year strayed about 21.77 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 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 55.3 in 2023 and the biggest yearly fall was 64.3 in 2022. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 2% 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 2024, Malawi had the 103rd highest value of the 203 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 Malawi in the 2024 ranking

• Fiji — 100th of 203: 117.4
• Thailand — 101st of 203: 117.1
• Honduras — 102nd of 203: 116.6
• Jamaica — 104th of 203: 115.4
• Lao PDR — 105th of 203: 115
• Netherlands — 106th of 203: 114.8

What this measures

Import volume indexes are derived from UNCTAD's volume index series and are the ratio of the import value indexes to the corresponding unit value indexes. Unit value indexes are based on data reported by countries that demonstrate consistency under UNCTAD quality controls, supplemented by UNCTAD's estimates using the previous year's trade values at the Standard International Trade Classification three-digit level as weights.

All 20 values

Import volume index (2015 = 100) in nearby economies

• Angola — 64.1 (2024)
• Benin — 151.2 (2024)
• Botswana — 81.8 (2024)
• Burkina Faso — 148.2 (2024)
• Burundi — 90.3 (2024)
• Cabo Verde — 244.6 (2024)
• Cameroon — 112.1 (2024)
• Central African Republic — 133.8 (2024)
• Chad — 47.6 (2024)
• Comoros — 122.9 (2024)
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — 263.4 (2024)

More trade data for Malawi

• Tariff rate, applied, simple mean, manufactured products (%) — 9.2% (2021)
• Tariff rate, most favored nation, simple mean, manufactured products (%) — 11.53% (2021)
• Tariff rate, applied, weighted mean, manufactured products (%) — 5.12% (2021)
• Tariff rate, most favored nation, weighted mean, manufactured products (%) — 8.28% (2021)
• Tariff rate, applied, simple mean, all products (%) — 9.48% (2021)
• Tariff rate, most favored nation, simple mean, all products (%) — 12.4% (2021)
• Tariff rate, applied, weighted mean, all products (%) — 5.95% (2021)
• Tariff rate, most favored nation, weighted mean, all products (%) — 10.04% (2021)

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 Malawi's import volume index (2015 = 100)?

116.1 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2005?

It is up 72.26% from 67.4 in 2005 (2.9% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 124.9 in 2019 and the lowest 51.5 in 2022.

How does Malawi rank?

103rd highest of 203 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in import volume index (2015 = 100) unusual for Malawi?

In 2024, Malawi's import volume index (2015 = 100) rose 9.3 on 2023 (from 106.8 to 116.1). Across the 18 yearly changes before that (2006 to 2023), the average change was +2.19 and a typical year strayed about 21.77 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Where does this data come from?

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator TM.QTY.MRCH.XD.WD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) 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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