Imports of goods and services in Somalia
Somalia: Imports of goods and services was 98.8% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Imports of goods and services in Somalia, 1960–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Somalia recorded 98.8% for imports of goods and services in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.3% on the previous year and up 65.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, imports of goods and services in Somalia peaked at 99.1% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 15.5%, in 1970.
That places Somalia 11th out of 193 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Imports of goods and services in Somalia, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 17.1% | — |
| 1961 | 23.1% | +34.6% |
| 1962 | 27.5% | +19.2% |
| 1963 | 26.0% | -5.6% |
| 1964 | 30.4% | +17.2% |
| 1965 | 20.6% | -32.2% |
| 1966 | 22.6% | +9.4% |
| 1967 | 22.3% | -1.4% |
| 1968 | 21.5% | -3.3% |
| 1969 | 23.7% | +9.9% |
| 1970 | 15.5% | -34.4% |
| 1971 | 19.0% | +22.4% |
| 1972 | 19.1% | +0.7% |
| 1973 | 28.2% | +47.3% |
| 1974 | 32.7% | +15.9% |
| 1975 | 25.2% | -22.7% |
| 1976 | 22.1% | -12.5% |
| 1977 | 59.2% | +168.1% |
| 1978 | 56.1% | -5.2% |
| 1979 | 75.6% | +34.7% |
| 1980 | 88.6% | +17.2% |
| 1981 | 68.4% | -22.9% |
| 1982 | 68.0% | -0.5% |
| 1983 | 72.5% | +6.6% |
| 1984 | 61.1% | -15.7% |
| 1985 | 19.3% | -68.4% |
| 1986 | 29.8% | +54.4% |
| 1987 | 30.9% | +3.7% |
| 1988 | 21.9% | -29.2% |
| 1989 | 41.5% | +89.5% |
| 1990 | 33.6% | -19.2% |
| 2012 | 69.0% | +105.7% |
| 2013 | 64.7% | -6.2% |
| 2014 | 62.5% | -3.4% |
| 2015 | 59.6% | -4.7% |
| 2016 | 58.2% | -2.3% |
| 2017 | 55.6% | -4.5% |
| 2018 | 59.6% | +7.2% |
| 2019 | 57.2% | -4.0% |
| 2020 | 62.0% | +8.4% |
| 2021 | 62.9% | +1.5% |
| 2022 | 73.1% | +16.1% |
| 2023 | 81.2% | +11.1% |
| 2024 | 99.1% | +22.1% |
| 2025 | 98.8% | -0.3% |
Somalia compared with similar countries
- Somalia's 98.8% is above the median for low income countries, which is 29.1%, 3.4× the median. (22 countries reporting)
- Somalia's 98.8% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 30.0%, 3.3× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Imports of goods and services in Somalia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | +168.1% | 22.1% | 59.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 23.5% | 17.1% | 30.4% | 10 |
| 1970s | 35.3% | 15.5% | 75.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 50.2% | 19.3% | 88.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 33.6% | 33.6% | 33.6% | 1 |
| 2010s | 60.8% | 55.6% | 69.0% | 8 |
| 2020s | 79.5% | 62.0% | 99.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Somalia
More economy & growth data for Somalia
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.52 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 4.5 Percent per annum (2029)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 765.00 million BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual 13.08 % change on previous year (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0639 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 40.24 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate -0.3355 % change on previous year (1989)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), per unit of GDP 0.0196 includes gold, current US$ per US$ of GDP (1989)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), per capita 3.25 includes gold, current US$ per person (1989)
- Total reserves minus gold (current US$), annual growth rate 0.6536 % change on previous year (1989)
Frequently asked questions
- What is imports of goods and services in Somalia?
- Imports of goods and services in Somalia was 98.8% in 2025, according to Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs).
- What is the highest imports of goods and services recorded in Somalia?
- The highest recorded value was 99.1% in 2024.
- What is the lowest imports of goods and services recorded in Somalia?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.5% in 1970.
- How does Somalia rank for imports of goods and services?
- Somalia ranks 11th out of 193 countries with data for 2025.
- Is imports of goods and services rising or falling in Somalia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 65.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Somalia 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
CSV · JSON — 45 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
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.