Value of imported goods as a share of GDP in Italy
Italy: Value of imported goods as a share of GDP was 22.8% in 2014. ▲ Rising
Latest (2014)
22.8%
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
163rd
of 193 countries
All-time high
32.8%
in 1917
All-time low
5.0%
in 1942
Years of data
150
1861–2014
Value of imported goods as a share of GDP in Italy, 1861–2014
Source: Fouquin and Hugot (2016) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Italy recorded 22.8% for value of imported goods as a share of gdp in 2014.
That represents a change of up 0.1% on the previous year and up 15.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, value of imported goods as a share of gdp in Italy peaked at 32.8% in 1917 and was at its lowest, 5.0%, in 1942.
Italy ranks 163rd of 193 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 150 years of available data.
Value of imported goods as a share of GDP in Italy, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1861 | 10.7% | — |
| 1862 | 10.2% | -3.9% |
| 1863 | 12.0% | +17.4% |
| 1864 | 12.8% | +6.2% |
| 1865 | 12.1% | -5.6% |
| 1866 | 10.0% | -17.1% |
| 1867 | 10.7% | +6.7% |
| 1868 | 9.6% | -9.7% |
| 1869 | 10.4% | +7.9% |
| 1870 | 10.0% | -4.4% |
| 1871 | 10.4% | +4.1% |
| 1872 | 11.4% | +10.1% |
| 1873 | 10.9% | -4.4% |
| 1874 | 11.5% | +5.9% |
| 1875 | 12.2% | +5.2% |
| 1876 | 13.3% | +9.2% |
| 1877 | 10.3% | -22.2% |
| 1878 | 10.1% | -2.2% |
| 1879 | 12.1% | +20.1% |
| 1880 | 10.9% | -9.8% |
| 1881 | 13.2% | +20.5% |
| 1882 | 12.3% | -6.4% |
| 1883 | 13.5% | +9.6% |
| 1884 | 13.3% | -1.7% |
| 1885 | 14.6% | +9.6% |
| 1886 | 13.5% | -7.5% |
| 1887 | 16.3% | +20.5% |
| 1888 | 11.4% | -29.8% |
| 1889 | 13.2% | +16.1% |
| 1890 | 11.5% | -13.4% |
| 1891 | 9.4% | -18.1% |
| 1892 | 10.9% | +15.6% |
| 1893 | 10.8% | -0.3% |
| 1894 | 10.3% | -4.6% |
| 1895 | 10.8% | +4.5% |
| 1896 | 10.7% | -0.6% |
| 1897 | 11.0% | +2.9% |
| 1898 | 11.7% | +5.8% |
| 1899 | 12.4% | +5.8% |
| 1900 | 13.1% | +5.9% |
| 1901 | 12.8% | -2.0% |
| 1902 | 13.5% | +5.0% |
| 1903 | 13.0% | -3.8% |
| 1904 | 13.6% | +5.0% |
| 1905 | 13.9% | +2.2% |
| 1906 | 16.3% | +17.4% |
| 1907 | 16.7% | +2.0% |
| 1908 | 17.5% | +5.4% |
| 1909 | 17.3% | -1.5% |
| 1910 | 18.2% | +5.5% |
| 1911 | 17.2% | -5.7% |
| 1912 | 18.0% | +4.5% |
| 1913 | 17.0% | -5.2% |
| 1914 | 14.2% | -16.7% |
| 1915 | 20.1% | +41.6% |
| 1916 | 17.1% | -15.1% |
| 1917 | 32.8% | +92.5% |
| 1918 | 30.3% | -7.9% |
| 1919 | 26.0% | -14.0% |
| 1920 | 28.3% | +8.8% |
| 1921 | 17.6% | -37.8% |
| 1922 | 14.8% | -15.6% |
| 1923 | 14.9% | +0.7% |
| 1924 | 16.2% | +8.1% |
| 1925 | 17.5% | +8.2% |
| 1926 | 16.2% | -7.4% |
| 1927 | 14.7% | -9.4% |
| 1928 | 15.7% | +6.8% |
| 1929 | 15.3% | -2.1% |
| 1930 | 13.9% | -9.5% |
| 1931 | 10.5% | -24.4% |
| 1932 | 7.7% | -26.3% |
| 1933 | 7.5% | -2.9% |
| 1934 | 7.7% | +2.6% |
| 1935 | 7.0% | -9.6% |
| 1936 | 5.1% | -27.0% |
| 1937 | 9.9% | +94.9% |
| 1938 | 7.4% | -25.5% |
| 1939 | 6.1% | -17.2% |
| 1940 | 6.8% | +11.0% |
| 1941 | 5.0% | -26.1% |
| 1942 | 5.0% | -0.8% |
| 1947 | 6.9% | +39.2% |
| 1948 | 11.7% | +68.9% |
| 1949 | 10.2% | -12.3% |
| 1950 | 10.1% | -1.1% |
| 1951 | 12.4% | +23.0% |
| 1952 | 12.3% | -1.2% |
| 1953 | 12.5% | +1.6% |
| 1954 | 11.2% | -9.9% |
| 1955 | 11.0% | -2.0% |
| 1956 | 11.9% | +7.7% |
| 1957 | 12.7% | +7.3% |
| 1958 | 10.4% | -18.2% |
| 1959 | 10.2% | -2.1% |
| 1960 | 11.5% | +12.3% |
| 1961 | 11.5% | +0.1% |
| 1962 | 11.9% | +3.7% |
| 1963 | 12.9% | +8.4% |
| 1964 | 11.4% | -12.0% |
| 1965 | 10.7% | -5.4% |
| 1966 | 11.6% | +8.3% |
| 1967 | 12.0% | +2.8% |
| 1968 | 11.7% | -2.5% |
| 1969 | 12.8% | +10.1% |
| 1970 | 13.2% | +2.9% |
| 1971 | 12.8% | -3.0% |
| 1972 | 13.3% | +3.9% |
| 1973 | 15.9% | +19.4% |
| 1974 | 20.7% | +29.9% |
| 1975 | 16.9% | -18.1% |
| 1976 | 19.4% | +14.6% |
| 1977 | 18.7% | -3.4% |
| 1978 | 18.0% | -4.1% |
| 1979 | 19.9% | +10.4% |
| 1980 | 20.9% | +5.3% |
| 1981 | 21.2% | +1.5% |
| 1982 | 20.2% | -4.6% |
| 1983 | 18.2% | -10.1% |
| 1984 | 19.3% | +6.0% |
| 1985 | 20.2% | +4.7% |
| 1986 | 15.7% | -22.5% |
| 1987 | 15.6% | -0.6% |
| 1988 | 15.6% | +0.2% |
| 1989 | 16.5% | +6.0% |
| 1990 | 15.4% | -6.7% |
| 1991 | 14.7% | -4.7% |
| 1992 | 14.2% | -3.5% |
| 1993 | 13.9% | -2.0% |
| 1994 | 15.3% | +10.1% |
| 1995 | 17.6% | +14.8% |
| 1996 | 15.8% | -10.0% |
| 1997 | 16.8% | +6.3% |
| 1998 | 17.1% | +1.5% |
| 1999 | 17.6% | +3.4% |
| 2000 | 20.6% | +16.8% |
| 2001 | 20.0% | -2.8% |
| 2002 | 19.2% | -4.2% |
| 2003 | 19.0% | -1.1% |
| 2004 | 19.8% | +4.1% |
| 2005 | 20.8% | +5.1% |
| 2006 | 22.8% | +9.7% |
| 2007 | 23.2% | +2.0% |
| 2008 | 24.6% | +6.1% |
| 2009 | 19.0% | -23.0% |
| 2010 | 22.4% | +18.2% |
| 2011 | 24.1% | +7.3% |
| 2012 | 23.4% | -2.9% |
| 2013 | 22.7% | -2.8% |
| 2014 | 22.8% | +0.1% |
Italy compared with similar countries
- Italy's 22.8% is below the median for high income countries, which is 38.0%, 60% of the median. (67 countries reporting)
- Italy's 22.8% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 39.4%, 58% of the median. (49 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Value of imported goods as a share of GDP in Italy 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1937 | +94.9% | 5.1% | 9.9% |
| 1917 | +92.5% | 17.1% | 32.8% |
| 1948 | +68.9% | 6.9% | 11.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1860s | 10.9% | 9.6% | 12.8% | 9 |
| 1870s | 11.2% | 10.0% | 13.3% | 10 |
| 1880s | 13.2% | 10.9% | 16.3% | 10 |
| 1890s | 10.9% | 9.4% | 12.4% | 10 |
| 1900s | 14.8% | 12.8% | 17.5% | 10 |
| 1910s | 21.1% | 14.2% | 32.8% | 10 |
| 1920s | 17.1% | 14.7% | 28.3% | 10 |
| 1930s | 8.3% | 5.1% | 13.9% | 10 |
| 1940s | 7.6% | 5.0% | 11.7% | 6 |
| 1950s | 11.5% | 10.1% | 12.7% | 10 |
| 1960s | 11.8% | 10.7% | 12.9% | 10 |
| 1970s | 16.9% | 12.8% | 20.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 18.3% | 15.6% | 21.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 15.8% | 13.9% | 17.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 20.9% | 19.0% | 24.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 23.1% | 22.4% | 24.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Italy
More economy & growth data for Italy
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.18 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 0.8337 Percent per annum (2029)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 22.90 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.009 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 388.75 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 882.91 million BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual -96.9 % change on previous year (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0003 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 14.99 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 49.38 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is value of imported goods as a share of gdp in Italy?
- Value of imported goods as a share of gdp in Italy was 22.8% in 2014, according to Fouquin and Hugot (2016) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest value of imported goods as a share of gdp recorded in Italy?
- The highest recorded value was 32.8% in 1917.
- What is the lowest value of imported goods as a share of gdp recorded in Italy?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.0% in 1942.
- How does Italy rank for value of imported goods as a share of gdp?
- Italy ranks 163rd out of 193 countries with data for 2014.
- Is value of imported goods as a share of gdp rising or falling in Italy?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Italy data come from?
- The figures come from Fouquin and Hugot (2016) – processed 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 150 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Estimates correspond to merchandise import-to-GDP ratios for countries and regions. All ratios are taken at current prices. See source for more details.