Zimbabwe: Imports of goods and services (annual % growth)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Zimbabwe's imports of goods and services (annual % growth) rose 11.4 percentage points on 2023 (from -10.9% to 0.5%).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was −0.04 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 65.04 percentage points 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 198.61 percentage points in 2009 and the biggest yearly fall was 189.14 percentage points in 2010. 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 1% 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, Zimbabwe had the 24th 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 Zimbabwe in the 2024 ranking

• New Zealand — 21st of 29: 1.48%
• Japan — 22nd of 29: 0.89%
• Tonga — 23rd of 29: 0.83%
• Lebanon — 25th of 29: -0.1%
• Cuba — 26th of 29: -1.34%
• Panama — 27th of 29: -2.61%

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 denotes the percentage change over each previous year of the constant price (base year 2015) series in United States dollars.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 48 values

Imports of goods and services (annual % growth) in nearby economies

• Angola — 2.7% (2024)
• Benin — 0.87% (2025)
• Botswana — -18.99% (2025)
• Burkina Faso — 7.42% (2025)
• Cabo Verde — 3.2% (2025)
• Cameroon — 11.09% (2025)
• Central African Republic — 14.4% (2025)
• Chad — 11.77% (2025)
• Comoros — 3.41% (2025)
• Congo, Dem. Rep.

More economic policy & debt data for Zimbabwe

• Gross Value Added (GVA) at basic prices (current US$) — US$48.51 billion (2025)
• Gross Value Added (GVA) at basic prices (current LCU) — 1.54 trillion (2025)
• GDP (current US$) — US$51.22 billion (2025)
• GDP (current LCU) — 1.63 trillion (2025)
• GDP (constant 2015 US$) — US$25.48 billion (2025)
• GDP (constant LCU) — 74.26 billion (2025)
• GDP per capita (current US$) — US$3,021 (2025)
• GDP per capita (current LCU) — 96,071 (2025)
• GDP per capita (constant 2015 US$) — US$1,503 (2025)
• GDP per capita (constant LCU) — 4,381 (2025)
• GNI (current US$)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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Questions people ask

What is Zimbabwe's imports of goods and services (annual % growth)?

0.5% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1977?

It is down 0.06 percentage points from 0.56% in 1977. The highest value was 210.26% in 2009 and the lowest -57.09% in 2018.

How does Zimbabwe rank?

24th highest of 29 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in imports of goods and services (annual % growth) unusual for Zimbabwe?

In 2024, Zimbabwe's imports of goods and services (annual % growth) rose 11.4 percentage points on 2023 (from -10.9% to 0.5%). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was −0.04 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 65.04 percentage points 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 NE.IMP.GNFS.KD.ZG, 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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