Private Sector & Trade · Uganda
Yearly data from 1960 to 2025, from the World Bank.
Uganda's merchandise imports (current US$) was US$18.4 billion in 2025, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is up 232.85% from US$5.53 billion in 2015 (12.78% a year on average, compounded).
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | US$18.4 billion | 2025 |
| Five years earlier | US$8.25 billion | 2020 |
| Ten years earlier | US$5.53 billion | 2015 |
| Highest | US$18.4 billion | 2025 |
| Lowest | US$91 million | 1960 |
| Average since 2016 | US$9.59 billion | 2016–2025 |
| First recorded | US$91 million | 1960 |
Over five years it is up 123% from US$8.25 billion in 2020 (17.4% a year on average, compounded). Since 1960 it is up 20,120% from US$91 million in 1960 (8.51% a year on average, compounded).
In 2025, Uganda's merchandise imports (current US$) rose 33% on 2024 (from US$13.83 billion to US$18.4 billion).
Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +10.7% and a typical year strayed about 14.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.5 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.
On record, the biggest yearly rise was 176.2% in 1987 and the biggest yearly fall was 69.4% in 1989. 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 the straight-line trend is upward, about US$1.29 billion a year. A straight line explains 89% 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.
In 2025, Uganda had the 91st 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.
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Uganda | US$18.4 billion | 2025 |
| World | US$26.69 trillion | 2025 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | US$501.16 billion | 2025 |
| Low income | US$152.49 billion | 2025 |
Merchandise imports includes goods whose economic ownership is changed from a non-resident to a resident and that are not included in the following specific categories: goods under merchanting, non-monetary gold, and parts of travel, construction, and government goods and services n.i.e. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This indicator is expressed in United States dollars.
Limitations: The value of imports is generally recorded as the cost of the goods when purchased by the importer plus the cost of transport and insurance to the frontier of the importing country - the cost, insurance, and freight (c.i.f.) value, corresponding to the landed cost at the point of entry of foreign goods into the country. A few countries collect import data on a free on board (f.o.b.) basis and adjust them for freight and insurance costs. Countries may report trade according to the general or special system of trade. Under the general system imports include goods imported for domestic consumption and imports into bonded warehouses and free trade zones.
Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a gap-filled total.
| Year | Merchandise imports (current US$) |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 18,400,000,000 |
| 2024 | 13,833,000,000 |
| 2023 | 11,780,000,000 |
| 2022 | 9,748,000,000 |
| 2021 | 9,086,000,000 |
| 2020 | 8,251,000,000 |
| 2019 | 7,696,000,000 |
| 2018 | 6,729,000,000 |
| 2017 | 5,596,000,000 |
| 2016 | 4,829,000,000 |
| 2015 | 5,528,000,000 |
| 2014 | 6,074,000,000 |
| 2013 | 5,818,000,000 |
| 2012 | 6,044,000,000 |
| 2011 | 5,631,000,000 |
| 2010 | 4,664,000,000 |
| 2009 | 4,247,000,000 |
| 2008 | 4,526,000,000 |
| 2007 | 3,493,000,000 |
| 2006 | 2,557,000,000 |
| 2005 | 2,054,000,000 |
| 2004 | 1,726,000,000 |
| 2003 | 1,375,000,000 |
| 2002 | 1,053,000,000 |
| 2001 | 1,594,000,000 |
| 2000 | 1,536,000,000 |
| 1999 | 1,342,000,000 |
| 1998 | 1,416,000,000 |
| 1997 | 1,316,000,000 |
| 1996 | 1,191,000,000 |
| 1995 | 1,056,000,000 |
| 1994 | 875,000,000 |
| 1993 | 535,000,000 |
| 1992 | 505,000,000 |
| 1991 | 196,000,000 |
| 1990 | 288,000,000 |
| 1989 | 271,000,000 |
| 1988 | 887,000,000 |
| 1987 | 848,000,000 |
| 1986 | 307,000,000 |
| 1985 | 327,000,000 |
| 1984 | 344,000,000 |
| 1983 | 377,000,000 |
| 1982 | 377,000,000 |
| 1981 | 345,000,000 |
| 1980 | 293,000,000 |
| 1979 | 197,000,000 |
| 1978 | 254,000,000 |
| 1977 | 241,000,000 |
| 1976 | 172,000,000 |
| 1975 | 207,000,000 |
| 1974 | 213,000,000 |
| 1973 | 163,000,000 |
| 1972 | 162,000,000 |
| 1971 | 250,000,000 |
| 1970 | 172,000,000 |
| 1969 | 175,000,000 |
| 1968 | 165,000,000 |
| 1967 | 159,000,000 |
| 1966 | 166,000,000 |
| 1965 | 161,000,000 |
| 1964 | 130,000,000 |
| 1963 | 114,000,000 |
| 1962 | 95,000,000 |
| 1961 | 95,000,000 |
| 1960 | 91,000,000 |
Every indicator for Uganda is on the Uganda data page.
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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