Zambia: Imports of goods and services (current US$)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Zambia's imports of goods and services (current US$) fell 32.4% on 2023 (from US$10.31 billion to US$6.97 billion).

Across the 29 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2023), the average change was +9.3% and a typical year strayed about 19.1% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.2 standard deviations below that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 51.9% in 2010 and the biggest yearly fall was 32.4% in 2024. 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 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 5% 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 2024, Zambia had the 15th highest value of the 33 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 Zambia in the 2024 ranking

• Bolivia — 12th of 33: US$14.02 billion
• Afghanistan — 13th of 33: US$12.1 billion
• Zimbabwe — 14th of 33: US$9.74 billion
• Tajikistan — 16th of 33: US$6.91 billion
• Bahamas, The — 17th of 33: US$6.56 billion
• Maldives — 18th of 33: US$5.53 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: Because policymakers have tended to focus on fostering the growth of output, and because data on production are easier to collect than data on spending, many countries generate their primary estimate of GDP using the production approach. Moreover, many countries do not estimate all the components of national expenditures but instead derive some of the main aggregates indirectly using GDP (based on the production approach) as the control total. Data on exports and imports are compiled from customs reports and balance of payments data.

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

All 31 values

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

• Angola — US$14.26 billion (2025)
• Benin — US$4.93 billion (2025)
• Botswana — US$7.48 billion (2025)
• Burkina Faso — US$8.29 billion (2025)
• Cabo Verde — US$1.63 billion (2025)
• Cameroon — US$11.96 billion (2025)
• Central African Republic — US$1.03 billion (2025)
• Chad — US$3.59 billion (2025)
• Comoros — US$573.29 million (2025)
• Congo, Dem. Rep.

More economic policy & debt data for Zambia

• Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$) — US$1.19 billion (2025)
• Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU) — 29.79 billion (2025)
• Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (% of GDP) — 4.11% (2025)
• Manufacturing, value added (current US$) — US$2.53 billion (2025)
• Manufacturing, value added (current LCU) — 63.49 billion (2025)
• Manufacturing, value added (% of GDP) — 8.75% (2025)
• Industry, including construction, value added (current US$) — US$10.2 billion (2025)
• Industry, including construction, value added (current LCU) — 256.39 billion (2025)
• Industry, including construction, value added (% of GDP)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Zambia's imports of goods and services (current US$)?

US$6.97 billion in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1994?

It is up 465.73% from US$1.23 billion in 1994 (5.95% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$11.21 billion in 2013 and the lowest US$1.12 billion in 1998.

How does Zambia rank?

15th highest of 33 economies with data for 2024.

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

In 2024, Zambia's imports of goods and services (current US$) fell 32.4% on 2023 (from US$10.31 billion to US$6.97 billion). Across the 29 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2023), the average change was +9.3% and a typical year strayed about 19.1% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.2 standard deviations below that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator NE.IMP.GNFS.CD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs); National Accounts data files, Central Banks; Staff estimates, World Bank (WB) 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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