Namibia: Imports of goods and services (current US$, BoP)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Namibia's imports of goods and services (current US$, BoP) rose 8.5% on 2023 (from US$8.52 billion to US$9.24 billion).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +6.1% and a typical year strayed about 13.5% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 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 32.4% in 2021 and the biggest yearly fall was 15.9% in 2020. 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 the straight-line trend is upward, about US$249.49 million a year. A straight line explains 34% 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 2024, Namibia had the 11th highest value of the 29 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 Namibia in the 2024 ranking

• Zimbabwe — 8th of 29: US$10.72 billion
• Guinea — 9th of 29: US$10.23 billion
• Cameroon — 10th of 29: US$10.18 billion
• Mauritius — 12th of 29: US$8.63 billion
• Burkina Faso — 13th of 29: US$7.29 billion
• Mali — 14th of 29: US$7.29 billion

What this measures

Imports of goods includes change in the economic ownership of goods from non-residents to residents of the compiling economy, irrespective of physical movement of goods across national borders. Imports of services includes services provided by non-residents to residents. 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: Discrepancies may arise in the balance of payments because there is no single source for balance of payments data and therefore no way to ensure that the data are fully consistent. Sources include customs data, monetary accounts of the banking system, external debt records, information provided by enterprises, surveys to estimate service transactions, and foreign exchange records. Differences in collection methods - such as in timing, definitions of residence and ownership, and the exchange rate used to value transactions - contribute to net errors and omissions. In addition, smuggling and other illegal or quasi-legal transactions may be unrecorded or misrecorded.

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

All 35 values

Imports of goods and services (current US$, BoP) in nearby economies

• Angola — US$23.98 billion (2025)
• Benin — US$6.19 billion (2023)
• Botswana — US$7.42 billion (2025)
• Burkina Faso — US$7.29 billion (2024)
• Burundi — US$1.5 billion (2025)
• Cabo Verde — US$1.64 billion (2025)
• Cameroon — US$10.18 billion (2024)
• Comoros — US$504.04 million (2023)
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — US$37.98 billion (2025)
• Congo, Rep.

More economic policy & debt data for Namibia

• Adjusted savings, education expenditure (% of GNI) — 8.92% (2021)
• Adjusted savings, net forest depletion (current US$) — US$106.2 million (2021)
• Adjusted savings, mineral depletion (current US$) — US$262.77 million (2021)
• General government final consumption expenditure (current US$) — US$3.36 billion (2025)
• General government final consumption expenditure (current LCU) — 60.11 billion (2025)
• General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) — US$3.51 billion (2025)
• General government final consumption expenditure (constant LCU) — 45.2 billion (2025)
• General government final consumption expenditure (% of GDP) — 22.28% (2025)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Namibia's imports of goods and services (current US$, BoP)?

US$9.24 billion in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1990?

It is up 483.25% from US$1.58 billion in 1990 (5.32% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$9.24 billion in 2024 and the lowest US$1.51 billion in 2002.

How does Namibia rank?

11th highest of 29 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in imports of goods and services (current US$, BoP) unusual for Namibia?

In 2024, Namibia's imports of goods and services (current US$, BoP) rose 8.5% on 2023 (from US$8.52 billion to US$9.24 billion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +6.1% and a typical year strayed about 13.5% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 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 BM.GSR.GNFS.CD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, 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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