01Key Takeaways
- Zimbabwe imported $9.20 billion worth of goods in 2023, up 6.9% from $8.60 billion in 2022, a fifth consecutive year of growth and the most recent year with verified trade data available in this dataset.
- Mineral fuels led every import category at 20.2% ($1.86 billion), the largest single category on this list.
- South Africa was Zimbabwe's largest import partner, supplying 38.0% of imports, worth $3.50 billion.
- The top three import partners together accounted for 58.0% of total import value.
025-Year Trend
| Year | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | $4.8B | $5.6B | $7.5B | $8.6B | $9.2B |
03Top Import Markets (2023)
| Rank | Partner | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Africa | $3.5B | 38.0% |
| 2 | China | $1.4B | 14.9% |
| 3 | Bahamas | $469.4M | 5.1% |
| 4 | Singapore | $460.5M | 5.0% |
| 5 | Bahrain | $326.4M | 3.5% |
| 6 | Mozambique | $285.9M | 3.1% |
| 7 | Mauritius | $268.9M | 2.9% |
| 8 | India | $258.0M | 2.8% |
| 9 | Zambia | $245.8M | 2.7% |
| 10 | United Arab Emirates | $227.9M | 2.5% |
04Top Import Categories (2023)
| Rank | Category | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mineral Fuels, Mineral Oils and Products of their Distillation; Bituminous Substances; Mineral Waxes | $1.9B | 20.2% |
| 2 | Nuclear Reactors, Boilers, Machinery and Mechanical Appliances; Parts thereof | $1.2B | 13.2% |
| 3 | Vehicles other than Railway or Tramway Rolling-Stock, and parts and accessories thereof | $767.6M | 8.3% |
| 4 | Electrical Machinery and Equipment and parts thereof; Sound Recorders and Reproducers, Television Image and Sound Recorders and Reproducers, and Parts and Accessories of such Articles | $587.9M | 6.4% |
| 5 | Cereals | $456.7M | 5.0% |
| 6 | Fertilisers | $388.2M | 4.2% |
| 7 | Plastics and Articles thereof | $322.2M | 3.5% |
| 8 | Iron and Steel | $287.2M | 3.1% |
| 9 | Articles of Iron or Steel | $286.8M | 3.1% |
| 10 | Animal or Vegetable Fats and Oils and their Cleavage Products; Prepared Edible Fats; Animal or Vegetable Waxes | $276.3M | 3.0% |
05Trade Partner Map
06Analysis
Import Value Climbed for a Fifth Straight Year in 2023
Zimbabwe imported $9.20 billion worth of goods in 2023, up 6.9% from $8.60 billion in 2022. This is the most recent year with verified trade data available in this dataset. The dataset covers a full five years, from 2019 through 2023, tracking the import side of trade for this landlocked mining and agricultural economy.
Import value stood at $4.79 billion in 2019, the low point of this five-year window. It rose to $5.63 billion in 2020, then climbed to $7.54 billion in 2021 and $8.60 billion in 2022, before reaching $9.20 billion in 2023, the high point of this five-year window.
This dataset does not explain what drove this steady climb. Import value in 2023 rose in every single year of this five-year window, an unbroken run that closely mirrors the equally uninterrupted climb recorded on the export side of trade for this same country. A gain of 6.9% extends that run rather than marking a new or isolated surge. Import value has now grown by nearly double its 2019 starting level over the course of this five-year window.
Fuel and Machinery Anchor an Import List Tied to a Landlocked Economy
Mineral fuels led every import category in 2023, worth $1.86 billion, or 20.2% of the total, the largest single category on this list. Heavy commercial traffic carrying fuel, mining equipment, agricultural products, manufactured goods and consumer commodities relies on the Beitbridge border crossing to move between southern and central Africa. That crossing connects Zimbabwe directly to South Africa. This pattern is reflected in South Africa ranking as Zimbabwe's top import partner and fuel topping this import list. Machinery and mechanical appliances ranked second at 13.2%, worth $1.22 billion, and vehicles followed at 8.3%, worth $767.56 million. These first three categories together account for well over four in ten dollars of total import value.
Electrical machinery and equipment contributed 6.4%, worth $587.86 million. These first four categories together account for close to half of total import value.
Cereals contributed 5.0% ($456.70 million), and fertilizers added 4.2%, worth $388.17 million. Plastics contributed 3.5% ($322.22 million). Iron and steel added 3.1% ($287.17 million), essentially tied with iron or steel articles at 3.1% ($286.79 million). Animal, vegetable and microbial fats and oils closed out the top ten at 3.0%, worth $276.32 million, the smallest share among all ten categories on this list. These ten categories span energy, transport, agriculture and industry, reflecting an economy importing both fuel and inputs for domestic production.
South Africa and China Lead a Highly Concentrated Partner List
South Africa was Zimbabwe's largest import partner in 2023, taking 38.0% of imports, worth $3.50 billion, more than double the next-largest partner. China ranked second at 14.9%, worth $1.37 billion, a far smaller share than South Africa's commanding lead at the top of this list. Bahamas ranked third at 5.1%, worth $469.43 million, a notably large share for this Caribbean economy that this dataset does not explain further. Together, these top three entries accounted for 58.0% of total import value, a somewhat lower concentration than seen on the export side of trade for this country. That gap reflects a partner base spread across a slightly wider mix of named countries here than on the export side.
Singapore contributed 5.0% ($460.49 million), a global trading and logistics hub distinct from the region. Bahrain added 3.5% ($326.36 million). Mozambique followed at 3.1% ($285.88 million), essentially tied with iron and steel described above.
Mauritius contributed 2.9%, worth $268.87 million, another Indian Ocean trading center among the top ten. India added 2.8% ($258.03 million), and Zambia contributed 2.7% ($245.77 million), a neighboring economy that also ranks among Zimbabwe's top export partners. United Arab Emirates closed out the top ten at 2.5%, worth $227.90 million, by far the smallest share among the ten partners listed here. Ranks four through ten here are packed within roughly three percentage points of each other, a far tighter cluster than the wide gaps separating the top three.
Taken together, this dataset's most recent confirmed year describes an import profile anchored in fuel and machinery, extending an uninterrupted five-year climb that closely mirrors the export side of trade for this same country. That profile is sourced from a partner base led overwhelmingly by South Africa, alongside China and a mix of regional and global suppliers among the identifiable partners.