Imports of goods and services (% of GDP)

Definition

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.

Methodology for Economy indicators

Economic indicators measure the size, structure, and dynamics of a country's economy. The World Bank collects data from national statistical offices, central banks, and the IMF, then normalizes it for cross-country comparison. Watch out for nominal versus real (inflation-adjusted) values: nominal figures in current US dollars are sensitive to exchange rate swings, while constant dollar series isolate real growth. Most macro indicators have a 1–2 year reporting lag.

How to interpret

• Always check the unit and reporting year before comparing values across countries.
• NULL or "Not available" means the World Bank did not publish a value — we never estimate.
• Year-over-year changes can be driven by methodology updates, not just real economic shifts.