Imports of goods and services in Australia
Australia: Imports of goods and services was 22.7% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Imports of goods and services in Australia, 1960–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2025, imports of goods and services in Australia stood at 22.7%. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.6% on the previous year and up 5.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, imports of goods and services in Australia peaked at 22.7% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 11.0%, in 1973.
That places Australia 169th out of 193 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Imports of goods and services in Australia, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 14.0% | — |
| 1961 | 15.0% | +6.9% |
| 1962 | 12.6% | -15.9% |
| 1963 | 13.8% | +9.5% |
| 1964 | 13.7% | -0.5% |
| 1965 | 15.2% | +10.9% |
| 1966 | 15.1% | -0.9% |
| 1967 | 13.8% | -8.2% |
| 1968 | 14.4% | +4.3% |
| 1969 | 13.3% | -7.9% |
| 1970 | 13.2% | -0.8% |
| 1971 | 12.9% | -2.2% |
| 1972 | 11.9% | -7.4% |
| 1973 | 11.0% | -8.0% |
| 1974 | 13.2% | +19.9% |
| 1975 | 14.7% | +11.5% |
| 1976 | 13.3% | -9.2% |
| 1977 | 14.6% | +9.5% |
| 1978 | 14.6% | -0.4% |
| 1979 | 15.3% | +5.2% |
| 1980 | 15.9% | +3.6% |
| 1981 | 16.7% | +5.2% |
| 1982 | 16.8% | +0.5% |
| 1983 | 15.6% | -7.2% |
| 1984 | 15.0% | -3.9% |
| 1985 | 17.2% | +15.2% |
| 1986 | 18.0% | +4.5% |
| 1987 | 17.0% | -5.4% |
| 1988 | 16.6% | -2.6% |
| 1989 | 16.9% | +2.0% |
| 1990 | 17.0% | +0.5% |
| 1991 | 16.1% | -5.2% |
| 1992 | 16.4% | +1.4% |
| 1993 | 17.8% | +9.0% |
| 1994 | 18.5% | +3.5% |
| 1995 | 19.8% | +7.3% |
| 1996 | 19.3% | -2.5% |
| 1997 | 18.8% | -2.5% |
| 1998 | 20.4% | +8.4% |
| 1999 | 20.7% | +1.5% |
| 2000 | 21.5% | +3.9% |
| 2001 | 22.0% | +2.4% |
| 2002 | 20.7% | -6.1% |
| 2003 | 21.1% | +2.0% |
| 2004 | 19.8% | -6.1% |
| 2005 | 20.9% | +5.5% |
| 2006 | 21.7% | +3.7% |
| 2007 | 21.8% | +0.5% |
| 2008 | 22.6% | +4.0% |
| 2009 | 22.7% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 20.7% | -8.8% |
| 2011 | 20.4% | -1.5% |
| 2012 | 21.6% | +6.1% |
| 2013 | 21.2% | -1.8% |
| 2014 | 21.3% | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 21.5% | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 21.6% | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 20.9% | -3.5% |
| 2018 | 21.8% | +4.3% |
| 2019 | 21.9% | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 20.6% | -6.3% |
| 2021 | 18.2% | -11.5% |
| 2022 | 20.2% | +11.2% |
| 2023 | 22.3% | +10.4% |
| 2024 | 22.5% | +0.8% |
| 2025 | 22.7% | +0.6% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 22.7% is below the median for high income countries, which is 51.2%, 44% of the median. (72 countries reporting)
- Australia's 22.7% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 63.3%, 36% of the median. (34 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 14.1% | 12.6% | 15.2% | 10 |
| 1970s | 13.5% | 11.0% | 15.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 16.6% | 15.0% | 18.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 18.5% | 16.1% | 20.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 21.5% | 19.8% | 22.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 21.3% | 20.4% | 21.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 21.1% | 18.2% | 22.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More economy & growth data for Australia
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.36 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.26 Percent per annum (2029)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps -4.55 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit -0.0025 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita -164.69 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 36.52 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual -32.02 % change on previous year (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0203 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 1,323 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 20.24 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is imports of goods and services in Australia?
- Imports of goods and services in Australia was 22.7% in 2025, according to Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs).
- What is the highest imports of goods and services recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 22.7% in 2025.
- What is the lowest imports of goods and services recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.0% in 1973.
- How does Australia rank for imports of goods and services?
- Australia ranks 169th out of 193 countries with data for 2025.
- Is imports of goods and services rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs), published as part of Imports of goods and services (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
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 as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.