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

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Zimbabwe's imports of goods and services (current US$) rose 17.1% on 2023 (from US$8.31 billion to US$9.74 billion).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +8.7% and a typical year strayed about 33.5% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 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 141.1% in 2017 and the biggest yearly fall was 37.5% in 2018. 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 less than 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 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 Zimbabwe in the 2024 ranking

• Lebanon — 11th of 33: US$15.3 billion
• Bolivia — 12th of 33: US$14.02 billion
• Afghanistan — 13th of 33: US$12.1 billion
• Zambia — 15th of 33: US$6.97 billion
• Tajikistan — 16th of 33: US$6.91 billion
• Bahamas, The — 17th of 33: US$6.56 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 50 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 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

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Questions people ask

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

US$9.74 billion in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1975?

It is up 811.08% from US$1.07 billion in 1975 (4.61% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$15.5 billion in 2017 and the lowest US$846.71 million in 1976.

How does Zimbabwe rank?

15th highest of 33 economies with data for 2024.

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

In 2024, Zimbabwe's imports of goods and services (current US$) rose 17.1% on 2023 (from US$8.31 billion to US$9.74 billion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +8.7% and a typical year strayed about 33.5% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 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.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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