01Key Takeaways
- Yemen exported $469.73 million worth of goods in 2023, the most recent confirmed year in this dataset, though the dataset's coverage of this country is limited to just two confirmed years.
- Precious stones and metals led every export category at 48.0% ($225.41 million), by far the largest single category on this list.
- Fish and crustaceans ranked second among export categories at 20.1% ($94.32 million).
- Saudi Arabia was Yemen's largest export partner, taking 54.5% of exports, worth $255.83 million.
022-Year Trend
| Year | 2019 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Value | $23.8M | $469.7M |
03Top Export Markets (2023)
| Rank | Partner | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saudi Arabia | $255.8M | 54.5% |
| 2 | Jordan | $73.9M | 15.7% |
| 3 | Malaysia | $26.5M | 5.6% |
| 4 | United Arab Emirates | $15.9M | 3.4% |
| 5 | Oman | $15.2M | 3.2% |
| 6 | Somalia | $12.4M | 2.6% |
| 7 | Egypt | $9.0M | 1.9% |
| 8 | Thailand | $8.5M | 1.8% |
| 9 | Netherlands | $8.2M | 1.7% |
| 10 | Kuwait | $5.1M | 1.1% |
04Top Export Categories (2023)
| Rank | Category | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Natural or Cultured Pearls, Precious or Semi-Precious Stones, Precious Metals, Metals Clad with Precious Metal, and Articles thereof; Imitation Jewellery; Coin | $225.4M | 48.0% |
| 2 | Fish and Crustaceans, Molluscs and other Aquatic Invertebrates | $94.3M | 20.1% |
| 3 | Edible Fruit and Nuts; Peel of Citrus Fruit or Melons | $38.7M | 8.2% |
| 4 | Edible Vegetables and certain Roots and Tubers | $19.9M | 4.2% |
| 5 | Coffee, Tea, Mate and Spices | $17.0M | 3.6% |
| 6 | Dairy Produce; Birds' Eggs; Natural Honey; Edible Products of Animal Origin, not elsewhere specified or included | $13.9M | 3.0% |
| 7 | Nuclear Reactors, Boilers, Machinery and Mechanical Appliances; Parts thereof | $10.6M | 2.3% |
| 8 | Cereals | $7.8M | 1.7% |
| 9 | Preparations of Meat, of Fish or of Crustaceans, Molluscs or other Aquatic Invertebrates | $5.0M | 1.1% |
| 10 | Residues and Waste from the Food Industries; Prepared Animal Fodder | $3.8M | 0.8% |
05Trade Partner Map
06Analysis
Export Data Spans Only Two Confirmed Years in This Dataset
Yemen exported $469.73 million worth of goods in 2023. This is the most recent confirmed year in this dataset. Unlike most countries in this dataset, Yemen's coverage here is not a continuous five-year run. The only other confirmed year on record is 2019, when export value stood at $23.78 million. No data is available for 2020, 2021 or 2022.
Because three years in between are missing, the change between these two confirmed points reflects a gap of four years rather than a single year-over-year comparison. This dataset does not explain what happened during the missing years or what drove the difference between these two confirmed data points. This snapshot should be read as the most recent confirmed figure for Yemen, not as part of a continuous multi-year trend.
Precious Metals and Fish Anchor Yemen's Confirmed 2023 Export List
Precious stones and metals led every export category in 2023, worth $225.41 million, or 48.0% of the total, by far the largest single category on this list. Yemen ranks among the leading fish-exporting nations in the Middle East by volume, according to an FAO report on regional fisheries and aquaculture markets, a position reflected in fish and crustaceans ranking second on this export list. Fruit and nuts followed at 8.2%, worth $38.73 million. These first three categories together account for well over three-quarters of total export value.
Vegetables contributed 4.2%, worth $19.92 million, and coffee, tea and spices added 3.6%, worth $17.01 million. Dairy produce contributed a further 3.0%, worth $13.90 million.
Machinery and mechanical appliances contributed 2.3%, worth $10.61 million. Cereals added 1.7% ($7.77 million), and meat, fish or crustacean preparations contributed 1.1% ($4.97 million). Food industries residues and prepared animal fodder closed out the top ten at 0.8%, worth $3.75 million, the smallest share among all ten categories on this list.
Saudi Arabia and Jordan Lead a Highly Concentrated Partner List
Saudi Arabia was Yemen's largest export partner in 2023, taking 54.5% of exports, worth $255.83 million. Jordan ranked second at 15.7%, worth $73.95 million. Malaysia followed at 5.6%, worth $26.47 million. Together, these top three partners accounted for 75.8% of total export value, an extremely high concentration level.
United Arab Emirates contributed 3.4% ($15.86 million), and Oman added 3.2% ($15.21 million). Somalia followed at 2.6%, worth $12.43 million.
Egypt contributed 1.9% ($8.97 million), and Thailand added 1.8% ($8.51 million). Netherlands contributed 1.7% ($8.17 million), essentially tied with cereals at 1.7% ($7.77 million) described above. Kuwait closed out the top ten at 1.1% ($5.09 million), essentially tied with meat and fish preparations at 1.1% ($4.97 million), the smallest share among the ten partners listed here.
Taken together, this dataset's most recent confirmed year describes an export profile anchored in precious metals and fish, sourced from a partner base heavily concentrated around Saudi Arabia and neighboring Gulf and regional economies. Given the gap in this dataset between 2019 and 2023, this snapshot should be read as the most recent confirmed data point for Yemen rather than part of a continuous multi-year trend.