Samoa: Merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, Samoa's merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$) rose 6.8% on 2022 (from US$432.94 million to US$462.21 million).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was +11.2% and a typical year strayed about 44.9% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 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 204.9% in 2005 and the biggest yearly fall was 57% in 2006. 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 the straight-line trend is upward, about US$9.13 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 2023, Samoa had the 191st 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 Samoa in the 2023 ranking

• French Polynesia — 187th of 205: US$645.75 million
• Grenada — 188th of 205: US$540.49 million
• Micronesia, Fed. Sts. — 189th of 205: US$516.78 million
• St. Vincent and the Grenadines — 191st of 205: US$456.04 million
• Eritrea — 192nd of 205: US$436.69 million
• San Marino — 193rd of 205: US$432.26 million

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 60 values

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

• American Samoa — US$208.32 million (2023)
• Australia — US$287.89 billion (2023)
• Brunei Darussalam — US$5.69 billion (2023)
• Cambodia — US$23.51 billion (2023)
• China — US$2.46 trillion (2023)
• Fiji — US$2.99 billion (2023)
• French Polynesia — US$645.75 million (2023)
• Guam — US$1.45 billion (2023)
• Hong Kong SAR, China

More private sector & trade data for Samoa

• Merchandise imports (current US$) — US$467 million (2025)
• Merchandise exports (current US$) — US$24 million (2025)
• Merchandise imports from high-income economies (% of total merchandise imports) — 75.22% (2023)
• Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in East Asia & Pacific (% of total merchandise imports) — 24.62% (2023)
• Merchandise imports by the reporting economy, residual (% of total merchandise imports) — 0% (2023)
• Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies within region (% of total merchandise imports) — 24.62% (2023)
• Merchandise exports to high-income economies (% of total merchandise exports) — 95.05% (2023)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Samoa's merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$)?

US$462.21 million in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1964?

It is up 4,765% from US$9.5 million in 1964 (6.81% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$639.97 million in 2005 and the lowest US$7.4 million in 1967.

How does Samoa rank?

191st highest of 205 economies with data for 2023.

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

In 2023, Samoa's merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$) rose 6.8% on 2022 (from US$432.94 million to US$462.21 million). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was +11.2% and a typical year strayed about 44.9% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 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 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.

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