Value of imported goods as a share of GDP (International Monetary) in Nigeria
Nigeria: Value of imported goods as a share of GDP (International Monetary) was 7.8% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Value of imported goods as a share of GDP in Nigeria, 1960–2025
Source: International Monetary Fund (2026); National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for value of imported goods as a share of gdp in Nigeria is 7.8%, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 52.3% on the previous year and down 32.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, value of imported goods as a share of gdp in Nigeria peaked at 27.9% in 1978 and was at its lowest, 3.5%, in 1998.
That places Nigeria 200th out of 201 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 65 years of available data.
Value of imported goods as a share of GDP (International Monetary) in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 12.1% | — |
| 1961 | 11.4% | -5.4% |
| 1962 | 10.4% | -9.0% |
| 1963 | 10.0% | -3.7% |
| 1964 | 11.3% | +13.1% |
| 1965 | 11.1% | -2.2% |
| 1966 | 9.7% | -12.3% |
| 1967 | 10.2% | +4.8% |
| 1968 | 8.5% | -16.3% |
| 1969 | 8.8% | +3.0% |
| 1970 | 6.9% | -21.5% |
| 1971 | 13.8% | +100.9% |
| 1972 | 10.0% | -27.6% |
| 1973 | 9.8% | -2.3% |
| 1974 | 8.9% | -8.8% |
| 1975 | 17.7% | +98.5% |
| 1976 | 18.0% | +1.8% |
| 1977 | 24.3% | +34.8% |
| 1978 | 27.9% | +14.7% |
| 1979 | 16.8% | -39.7% |
| 1981 | 10.0% | -40.7% |
| 1982 | 7.3% | -27.1% |
| 1983 | 9.0% | +24.3% |
| 1984 | 6.8% | -24.9% |
| 1985 | 7.1% | +5.3% |
| 1986 | 5.2% | -27.7% |
| 1987 | 6.2% | +19.6% |
| 1988 | 6.3% | +2.4% |
| 1989 | 6.1% | -3.6% |
| 1990 | 7.6% | +24.7% |
| 1991 | 8.7% | +14.5% |
| 1992 | 17.4% | +100.1% |
| 1993 | 13.1% | -24.9% |
| 1994 | 6.6% | -49.7% |
| 1995 | 4.0% | -39.0% |
| 1996 | 3.6% | -11.1% |
| 1997 | 3.5% | -2.4% |
| 1998 | 3.5% | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 13.0% | +273.2% |
| 2000 | 8.4% | -35.4% |
| 2001 | 10.8% | +28.3% |
| 2002 | 9.2% | -14.7% |
| 2003 | 17.3% | +88.9% |
| 2004 | 16.3% | -6.0% |
| 2005 | 16.3% | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 14.7% | -9.4% |
| 2007 | 14.7% | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 18.9% | +28.8% |
| 2009 | 17.7% | -6.4% |
| 2010 | 16.2% | -8.3% |
| 2011 | 19.5% | +20.4% |
| 2012 | 14.9% | -23.8% |
| 2013 | 15.1% | +1.3% |
| 2014 | 13.4% | -11.2% |
| 2015 | 11.6% | -13.1% |
| 2016 | 11.2% | -3.5% |
| 2017 | 15.0% | +34.0% |
| 2018 | 14.7% | -2.4% |
| 2019 | 9.8% | -33.4% |
| 2020 | 9.3% | -5.4% |
| 2021 | 8.5% | -7.9% |
| 2022 | 9.3% | +9.6% |
| 2023 | 13.2% | +41.3% |
| 2024 | 16.4% | +24.0% |
| 2025 | 7.8% | -52.3% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 7.8% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 28.5%, 27% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 7.8% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 26.0%, 30% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Value of imported goods as a share of GDP (International Monetary) in Nigeria 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | +273.2% | 3.5% | 13.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 10.3% | 8.5% | 12.1% | 10 |
| 1970s | 15.4% | 6.9% | 27.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 7.1% | 5.2% | 10.0% | 9 |
| 1990s | 8.1% | 3.5% | 17.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 14.4% | 8.4% | 18.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.1% | 9.8% | 19.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.7% | 7.8% | 16.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
More economy & growth data for Nigeria
- Real gdp growth, annual growth rate 22.77 % change on previous year (2024)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.04 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 3.32 Percent per annum (2029)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate 3.99 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0148 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 18.13 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate -0.9704 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0108 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 13.24 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate -17.26 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is value of imported goods as a share of gdp in Nigeria?
- Value of imported goods as a share of gdp in Nigeria was 7.8% in 2025, according to International Monetary Fund (2026); National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest value of imported goods as a share of gdp recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 27.9% in 1978.
- What is the lowest value of imported goods as a share of gdp recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.5% in 1998.
- How does Nigeria rank for value of imported goods as a share of gdp?
- Nigeria ranks 200th out of 201 countries with data for 2025.
- Is value of imported goods as a share of gdp rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 32.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund (2026); National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Value of imported goods as a share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Value of a country’s total goods imports, including freight and insurance costs, as a percentage of a country’s gross domestic product (GDP).