Ores and metals imports in Australia
Australia: Ores and metals imports was 1.9% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Ores and metals imports in Australia, 1963–2025
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise imports.
Analysis
The most recent figure for ores and metals imports in Australia is 1.9%, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 37.6% on the previous year and up 17.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, ores and metals imports in Australia peaked at 3.4% in 1965 and was at its lowest, 1.0%, in 2004.
Australia ranks 81st of 196 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Ores and metals imports in Australia, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1963 | 2.7% | — |
| 1964 | 2.7% | +0.8% |
| 1965 | 3.4% | +27.2% |
| 1966 | 2.6% | -24.1% |
| 1967 | 3.0% | +15.0% |
| 1968 | 3.3% | +9.7% |
| 1969 | 2.5% | -24.4% |
| 1970 | 2.3% | -8.3% |
| 1971 | 2.0% | -12.0% |
| 1972 | 1.9% | -3.6% |
| 1973 | 2.1% | +9.3% |
| 1974 | 2.2% | +4.3% |
| 1975 | 2.0% | -11.5% |
| 1976 | 1.6% | -19.7% |
| 1977 | 1.6% | +4.5% |
| 1978 | 1.7% | +5.3% |
| 1979 | 1.8% | +2.6% |
| 1980 | 2.1% | +21.0% |
| 1981 | 1.8% | -15.7% |
| 1982 | 1.5% | -19.3% |
| 1983 | 1.4% | -1.4% |
| 1984 | 1.3% | -11.6% |
| 1985 | 1.3% | -0.7% |
| 1986 | 1.3% | +0.2% |
| 1987 | 1.3% | +5.1% |
| 1988 | 1.5% | +15.2% |
| 1989 | 1.5% | -0.6% |
| 1990 | 1.4% | -6.3% |
| 1991 | 1.2% | -13.8% |
| 1992 | 1.4% | +12.3% |
| 1993 | 1.2% | -13.6% |
| 1994 | 1.3% | +13.4% |
| 1995 | 1.3% | -1.7% |
| 1996 | 1.2% | -12.9% |
| 1997 | 1.3% | +9.2% |
| 1998 | 1.3% | +3.5% |
| 1999 | 1.1% | -14.3% |
| 2000 | 1.1% | +1.1% |
| 2001 | 1.2% | +9.2% |
| 2002 | 1.2% | -4.4% |
| 2003 | 1.2% | +4.0% |
| 2004 | 1.0% | -14.8% |
| 2005 | 1.1% | +4.4% |
| 2006 | 1.3% | +20.9% |
| 2007 | 1.5% | +14.6% |
| 2008 | 1.6% | +3.5% |
| 2009 | 1.3% | -20.3% |
| 2010 | 1.7% | +33.7% |
| 2011 | 2.0% | +19.5% |
| 2012 | 1.5% | -25.7% |
| 2013 | 1.4% | -3.8% |
| 2014 | 1.6% | +14.4% |
| 2015 | 1.6% | -3.2% |
| 2016 | 1.6% | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 1.4% | -11.5% |
| 2018 | 1.5% | +4.1% |
| 2019 | 1.3% | -11.7% |
| 2020 | 1.6% | +25.7% |
| 2021 | 1.8% | +10.4% |
| 2022 | 1.6% | -12.1% |
| 2023 | 1.4% | -13.1% |
| 2024 | 1.3% | -1.3% |
| 2025 | 1.9% | +37.6% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 1.9% is below the median for high income countries, which is 2.1%, 87% of the median. (71 countries reporting)
- Australia's 1.9% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.3%, 1.5× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.9% | 2.5% | 3.4% | 7 |
| 1970s | 1.9% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.5% | 1.3% | 2.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.3% | 1.1% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.3% | 1.0% | 1.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.6% | 1.3% | 2.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.6% | 1.3% | 1.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More energy & mining data for Australia
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, annual growth rate -0.4235 % change on previous year (2025)
- Coal consumption, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal consumption, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Coal production, per capita 0.0001 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal production, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, per capita 0.0001 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Fuel imports 11.7% (2025)
- Ores and metals exports 34.6% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is ores and metals imports in Australia?
- Ores and metals imports in Australia was 1.9% in 2025, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest ores and metals imports recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 3.4% in 1965.
- What is the lowest ores and metals imports recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.0% in 2004.
- How does Australia rank for ores and metals imports?
- Australia ranks 81st out of 196 countries with data for 2025.
- Is ores and metals imports rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division, published as part of Ores and metals imports (% of merchandise imports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Ores and metals comprise the commodities in SITC (Rev. 3) sections 27 (crude fertilizer, minerals nes); 28 (metalliferous ores, scrap); and 68 (non-ferrous metals). Imports of services are services provided by non-residents to residents. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of merchandise imports which is comprised of goods whose economic ownership is changed between a non-resident and a resident and that are not included in the following specific categories: goods under merchanting, non-monetary gold, and parts of travel, construction, and government goods and services n.i.e.