Countries by Import value index (2015 = 100)
Djibouti ranks first with an import value index of 454.7 in 2023, meaning its merchandise import values were more than four and a half times the 2015 baseline. At the opposite end, Venezuela records 32.8, the lowest of 204 countries ranked. The gap of nearly 422 index points illustrates how divergently import volumes and prices have moved across economies since 2015.
Ranking 2023
Analysis
This metric measures the current value of merchandise imports, expressed as an index relative to the 2015 average. The source definition states: 'Import value indexes are the current value of imports (c.i.f.) converted to U.S. dollars and expressed as a percentage of the average for the base period (2015). UNCTAD's import value indexes are reported for most economies.' The unit is an absolute index value where 100 equals the 2015 baseline; values above 100 indicate higher import values than in 2015, and values below 100 indicate lower ones. The dataset covers 204 countries using data from the World Bank World Development Indicators (indicator code TM.VAL.MRCH.XD.WD), with 100 percent of data points classified as official quality and 99 percent of countries reporting for the latest year, 2023. The viability checks identified 25 extreme outliers using a 3-standard-deviation threshold, and the data range spans from 32.8 to 454.7, a spread of 1,286 percent.
The top of the ranking is led by Djibouti (rank 1, 454.7) and Guyana (rank 2, 449.2), both well above the third-ranked country, Armenia (rank 3, 380.5). Uzbekistan (rank 4, 312.7) and the Kyrgyz Republic (rank 5, 309.8) follow, with values more than triple the 2015 baseline. Among larger or more familiar economies, Viet Nam ranks 26th at 196.7, Ireland ranks 27th at 195.6, and Kazakhstan ranks 24th at 198.3. Several European Union members cluster in the upper half: Slovenia ranks 9th at 240.0, Croatia ranks 20th at 210.3, and Romania ranks 34th at 188.9. High index values indicate that the total U.S. dollar value of merchandise imports in 2023 was substantially larger than in the 2015 base period.
The middle of the ranking includes major global economies at more moderate levels. The United States ranks 125th at 137.0, Germany ranks 114th at 140.5, Japan ranks 157th at 121.2, and the United Kingdom ranks 148th at 125.6. A notable anomaly is that Slovenia (rank 9, 240.0) outranks Germany (rank 114, 140.5) and France (rank 122, 137.7) by a wide margin. At the lower end, Venezuela ranks last at 32.8, the only country below 40. Congo, Rep. ranks 203rd at 46.3, Eritrea ranks 202nd at 48.0, and Korea, Dem. People's Rep. ranks 201st at 57.2. Qatar ranks 178th at 97.0, making it one of only a few high-income Gulf states to fall below the 2015 baseline alongside Kuwait (rank 156, 121.3) and Saudi Arabia (rank 160, 118.5).
Several limitations apply to this metric. The index reflects total import value in U.S. dollars, which means movements in exchange rates and commodity prices affect the index independently of changes in the physical volume of imports. A country whose currency depreciated significantly against the U.S. dollar since 2015 may show a lower index even if it imports the same or more goods. Conversely, a country with high commodity-import price inflation may show a higher index without increased import volumes. The c.i.f. (cost, insurance, and freight) valuation method can introduce variation compared to f.o.b. valuations used elsewhere. Countries with irregular or incomplete customs reporting may have less reliable figures, and two data points in this dataset (Sudan at 97.15 and Curacao at 78.71) carry additional decimal precision suggesting possible interpolation or estimation. The 25 flagged outliers at the top and bottom of the ranking warrant particular caution in cross-country comparisons.
Methodology
The metric is the Import Value Index (2015 = 100), sourced from the World Bank World Development Indicators under indicator code TM.VAL.MRCH.XD.WD, with data for the reference year 2023. The source definition used verbatim: 'Import value indexes are the current value of imports (c.i.f.) converted to U.S. dollars and expressed as a percentage of the average for the base period (2015). UNCTAD's import value indexes are reported for most economies.' The ranking covers 204 countries. All 204 countries have data from within the last 7 years, and 100 percent of data points are classified as official quality. The 2023 coverage rate is 99 percent (202 of 204 countries). Viability checks identified 25 extreme outliers beyond the 3-standard-deviation threshold. The data range is 32.8 to 454.7, representing a 1,286 percent spread. Average year-over-year change across the dataset is 14.7 percent. Higher values indicate that a country's merchandise import values in 2023 were proportionally larger relative to its own 2015 baseline.