Marshall Islands: Merchandise imports (current US$)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, Marshall Islands' merchandise imports (current US$) rose 11% on 2024 (from US$100 million to US$111 million).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +2.1% and a typical year strayed about 13.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.7 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 42.9% in 2010 and the biggest yearly fall was 20.6% in 2015. 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 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 30% 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 2025, Marshall Islands had the 202nd 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 Marshall Islands in the 2025 ranking

• Tonga — 199th of 204: US$255 million
• São Tomé and Principe — 200th of 204: US$183 million
• Palau — 201st of 204: US$162 million
• Naoero — 203rd of 204: US$67 million
• Tuvalu — 204th of 204: US$27 million

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 38 values

Merchandise imports (current US$) in nearby economies

• American Samoa — US$678 million (2025)
• Australia — US$310.63 billion (2025)
• Brunei Darussalam — US$6.04 billion (2025)
• Cambodia — US$33.89 billion (2025)
• China — US$2.58 trillion (2025)
• Fiji — US$3.25 billion (2025)
• French Polynesia — US$2.45 billion (2025)
• Guam — US$937 million (2025)
• Hong Kong SAR, China — US$831.83 billion (2025)
• Indonesia — US$241.86 billion (2025)
• Japan

More private sector & trade data for Marshall Islands

• Merchandise trade (% of GDP) — 59.42% (2025)
• Merchandise exports (current US$) — US$72 million (2025)
• Import unit value index (2015 = 100) — 121.2 (2025)
• Export unit value index (2015 = 100) — 119.3 (2025)
• International tourism, number of arrivals — 6,100 (2019)
• International tourism, receipts (current US$) — US$20.1 million (2018)
• Merchandise imports from high-income economies (% of total merchandise imports) — 76.45% (2023)
• Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside region (% of total merchandise imports) — 4.05% (2023)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Marshall Islands's merchandise imports (current US$)?

US$111 million in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1988?

It is up 226.47% from US$34 million in 1988 (3.25% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$150 million in 2010 and the lowest US$34 million in 1988.

How does Marshall Islands rank?

202nd highest of 204 economies with data for 2025.

Is the latest change in merchandise imports (current US$) unusual for Marshall Islands?

In 2025, Marshall Islands' merchandise imports (current US$) rose 11% on 2024 (from US$100 million to US$111 million). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +2.1% and a typical year strayed about 13.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.7 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.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.

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