Namibia's merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$) was US$7.19 billion in 2023, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is down 1.53% from US$7.3 billion in 2013 (0.15% a year on average, compounded).
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | US$7.19 billion | 2023 |
| Five years earlier | US$6.7 billion | 2018 |
| Ten years earlier | US$7.3 billion | 2013 |
| Highest | US$8.3 billion | 2014 |
| Lowest | US$1.29 billion | 2002 |
| Average since 2014 | US$6.75 billion | 2014–2023 |
| First recorded | US$1.42 billion |
What the numbers say
In 2023, Namibia's merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$) rose 9.9% on 2022 (from US$6.54 billion to US$7.19 billion).
Across the 22 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2022), the average change was +9.1% and a typical year strayed about 22.5% 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 74.7% in 2004 and the biggest yearly fall was 14.9% in 2019. 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 15% 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, Namibia had the 124th 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.
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Namibia | US$7.19 billion | 2023 |
| World | US$23.45 trillion | 2023 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | US$467.85 billion | 2023 |
| Lower middle income | US$1.37 trillion | 2023 |
Closest to Namibia in the 2023 ranking
- Nicaragua — 121st of 205: US$8.06 billion
- Jamaica — 122nd of 205: US$7.59 billion
- Zimbabwe — 123rd of 205: US$7.26 billion
- Tajikistan — 125th of 205: US$7.06 billion
- Cuba — 126th of 205: US$6.82 billion
- West Bank and Gaza — 127th of 205: US$6.68 billion
What this measures
Merchandise imports by the reporting economy are the total merchandise imports by the reporting economy from the rest of the world, as reported in the IMF's Direction of trade database. Data are in current U.S. dollars.
Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.
All 24 values
| Year | Merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$) |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 7,186,702,059 |
| 2022 | 6,539,627,576 |
| 2021 | 7,268,332,976 |
| 2020 | 4,978,411,287 |
| 2019 | 5,700,078,356 |
| 2018 | 6,701,687,108 |
| 2017 | 6,652,065,681 |
| 2016 | 6,521,191,182 |
| 2015 | 7,628,339,763 |
| 2014 | 8,301,354,655 |
Merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$) in nearby economies
- Angola — US$15.69 billion (2023)
- Benin — US$3.91 billion (2023)
- Botswana — US$5.89 billion (2023)
- Burkina Faso — US$5.88 billion (2023)
- Burundi — US$959.12 million (2023)
- Cabo Verde — US$1.74 billion (2023)
- Cameroon — US$8.62 billion (2023)
- Central African Republic — US$736.21 million (2023)
- Chad — US$1.39 billion (2023)
More private sector & trade data for Namibia
- Merchandise trade (% of GDP) — 102.45% (2025)
- Import unit value index (2015 = 100) — 138 (2025)
- Merchandise imports (current US$) — US$8.43 billion (2025)
- Export unit value index (2015 = 100) — 152.1 (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$) — US$7.02 billion (2025)
- Insurance and financial services (% of commercial service imports) — 1.88% (2024)
- Computer, communications and other services (% of commercial service imports) — 80.23% (2024)
- Commercial service imports (current US$) — US$2.44 billion (2024)
- Transport services (% of commercial service imports) — 13.22% (2024)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is Namibia's merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$)?
- US$7.19 billion in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 2000?
- It is up 407.07% from US$1.42 billion in 2000 (7.31% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$8.3 billion in 2014 and the lowest US$1.29 billion in 2002.
- How does Namibia rank?
- 124th highest of 205 economies with data for 2023.
- Is the latest change in merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$) unusual for Namibia?
- In 2023, Namibia's merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$) rose 9.9% on 2022 (from US$6.54 billion to US$7.19 billion). Across the 22 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2022), the average change was +9.1% and a typical year strayed about 22.5% 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.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.
Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.
Legal entity
Devansh Yadav
Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh
Governing law: Courts at Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh
Phone: +91 8433475698
Legal: legal@analyzeit.in