Trading across borders: Documents to import (number) (DB06-15 methodology) by country

Countries reporting

181

Highest

17 DB06-15 methodology

Central African Republic

Lowest

2 DB06-15 methodology

Ireland

Median

7 DB06-15 methodology

Years covered

2005–2014

Data points

1,813

What the numbers show

Trading across borders: Documents to import (number) (DB06-15 methodology) is currently reported for 181 countries. The highest value is 17 DB06-15 methodology in Central African Republic; the lowest is 2 DB06-15 methodology in Ireland.

The median across all reporting countries is 7 DB06-15 methodology, and the mean is 7.27 DB06-15 methodology.

The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 8.

Over the past decade 11 countries rose and 53 fell. The largest increase was in Guatemala (up 100.0%), and the largest decrease in France (down 84.6%).

Trading across borders: Documents to import (number): full country ranking

#	Country	Latest	Year	10-year change	Trend
1	Central African Republic	17 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
2	Cote d'Ivoire	13 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
2	Nigeria	13 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 23.5%	falling
2	Uzbekistan	13 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 13.3%	falling
5	Burkina Faso	12 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 7.7%	falling
5	Cameroon	12 DB06-15 methodology	2014	up 20.0%	rising
5	Eritrea	12 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
5	Kazakhstan	12 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 7.7%	falling
5	Liberia	12 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
5	Mongolia	12 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
5	Malawi	12 DB06-15 methodology	2014	up 9.1%	rising
5	Tajikistan	12 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 7.7%	falling
13	Azerbaijan	11 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
13	Bhutan	11 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
13	Ethiopia	11 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
13	Iran	11 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
13	Kyrgyzstan	11 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 35.3%	falling
13	Saint Lucia	11 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
13	Moldova	11 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
13	Mali	11 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 8.3%	falling
13	Nepal	11 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
13	Chad	11 DB06-15 methodology	2014	up 10.0%	rising
13	Tanzania	11 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 35.3%	falling
24	Afghanistan	10 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
24	Belarus	10 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
24	Democratic Republic of Congo	10 DB06-15 methodology	2014	up 11.1%	flat
24	Congo	10 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
24	Egypt	10 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 9.1%	flat
24	India	10 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
24	Iraq	10 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
24	Kuwait	10 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
24	Laos	10 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 33.3%	falling
24	Niger	10 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
24	Russia	10 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 16.7%	falling
24	Trinidad and Tobago	10 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
24	Uganda	10 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 50.0%	falling
37	Angola	9 DB06-15 methodology	2014	up 12.5%	rising
37	Burundi	9 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 10.0%	falling
37	Bangladesh	9 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
37	Algeria	9 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
37	Fiji	9 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
37	Haiti	9 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
37	Kenya	9 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 35.7%	falling
37	Cambodia	9 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 18.2%	falling
37	Madagascar	9 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 18.2%	falling
37	Maldives	9 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
37	Mozambique	9 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
37	Palau	9 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
37	Papua New Guinea	9 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
37	Paraguay	9 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
37	Rwanda	9 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 57.1%	falling
37	Syria	9 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
37	Ukraine	9 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
37	Venezuela	9 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 30.8%	falling
37	Yemen	9 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
56	Albania	8 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
56	Argentina	8 DB06-15 methodology	2014	up 33.3%	rising
56	Armenia	8 DB06-15 methodology	2014	up 33.3%	rising
56	Bahrain	8 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
56	Bosnia and Herzegovina	8 DB06-15 methodology	2014	up 14.3%	rising
56	Brazil	8 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
56	Comoros	8 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
56	Dominica	8 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
56	Gabon	8 DB06-15 methodology	2014	up 14.3%	rising
56	Guinea	8 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
56	Indonesia	8 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
56	North Macedonia	8 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 11.1%	falling
56	Mauritania	8 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
56	Oman	8 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
56	Pakistan	8 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
56	Puerto Rico	8 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
56	Saudi Arabia	8 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
56	Sierra Leone	8 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
56	Turkey	8 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 38.5%	falling
56	Vietnam	8 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
56	Zambia	8 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 11.1%	falling
56	Zimbabwe	8 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 11.1%	falling
78	Antigua and Barbuda	7 DB06-15 methodology	2014	up 40.0%	rising
78	Australia	7 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
78	Benin	7 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 22.2%	falling
78	Belize	7 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
78	Cape Verde	7 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
78	Cyprus	7 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
78	Ghana	7 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
78	Guyana	7 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
78	Croatia	7 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
78	Jamaica	7 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 22.2%	falling
78	Jordan	7 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 41.7%	falling
78	Saint Kitts and Nevis	7 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
78	Lebanon	7 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 36.4%	falling
78	Sri Lanka	7 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 30.0%	falling
78	Lesotho	7 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 12.5%	falling
78	Namibia	7 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
78	Peru	7 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
78	Philippines	7 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 12.5%	falling
78	Qatar	7 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
78	Sudan	7 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
78	El Salvador	7 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 22.2%	falling
78	Serbia	7 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
78	Slovenia	7 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
78	Togo	7 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 30.0%	falling
78	East Timor	7 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
78	Uruguay	7 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
78	Vanuatu	7 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
105	Bolivia	6 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
105	Botswana	6 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 14.3%	falling
105	Colombia	6 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
105	Czechia	6 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
105	Ecuador	6 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 14.3%	falling
105	Micronesia (country)	6 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
105	Gambia	6 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
105	Guinea-Bissau	6 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
105	Equatorial Guinea	6 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
105	Greece	6 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
105	Grenada	6 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
105	Guatemala	6 DB06-15 methodology	2014	up 100.0%	rising
105	Honduras	6 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 14.3%	falling
105	Hungary	6 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
105	Kiribati	6 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
105	Morocco	6 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 14.3%	falling
105	New Zealand	6 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
105	Palestine	6 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
105	Romania	6 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 60.0%	falling
105	Senegal	6 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 50.0%	falling
105	Sao Tome and Principe	6 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
105	Suriname	6 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
105	Eswatini	6 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 14.3%	falling
105	Tonga	6 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
105	Tunisia	6 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
105	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	6 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
105	Samoa	6 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
105	South Africa	6 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 14.3%	falling
105	Taiwan	6 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
134	United Arab Emirates	5 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 28.6%	falling
134	Bulgaria	5 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 37.5%	falling
134	Bahamas	5 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
134	Brunei	5 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
134	Chile	5 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
134	China	5 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 16.7%	falling
134	Costa Rica	5 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
134	Dominican Republic	5 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 44.4%	falling
134	Finland	5 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
134	Japan	5 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
134	Lithuania	5 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
134	Latvia	5 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
134	Marshall Islands	5 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
134	Montenegro	5 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 16.7%	falling
134	Mauritius	5 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 16.7%	falling
134	Nicaragua	5 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 28.6%	falling
134	Norway	5 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
134	Solomon Islands	5 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
134	Slovakia	5 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
134	Seychelles	5 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
134	Thailand	5 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 58.3%	falling
134	United States	5 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
156	Austria	4 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
156	Belgium	4 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
156	Switzerland	4 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
156	Germany	4 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
156	Spain	4 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 20.0%	falling
156	Estonia	4 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
156	United Kingdom	4 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
156	Georgia	4 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 73.3%	volatile
156	Iceland	4 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
156	Israel	4 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
156	Luxembourg	4 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
156	Mexico	4 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
156	Malaysia	4 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
156	Netherlands	4 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 20.0%	falling
156	Poland	4 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
156	Portugal	4 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
172	Canada	3 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
172	Denmark	3 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
172	Hong Kong	3 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 62.5%	falling
172	Italy	3 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
172	South Korea	3 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 62.5%	falling
172	Panama	3 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
172	Singapore	3 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
172	Sweden	3 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat
180	France	2 DB06-15 methodology	2014	down 84.6%	volatile
180	Ireland	2 DB06-15 methodology	2014	unchanged	flat

Regions and income groups

Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.

Kosovo 7 DB06-15 methodology

About this data

Indicator: Trading across borders: Documents to import (number) (DB06-15 methodology)
Unit: DB06-15 methodology
Source: World Bank
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage: 183 places, 1,813 data points, 2005–2014
Last refreshed: 10 August 2026

The number of documents to import records the number of documents required by law or common practice by relevant agencies per import shipment. All documents required by law or common practice by relevant agencies—including government ministries, customs authorities, port authorities and other control agencies—per import shipment are taken into account. For landlocked economies, documents required by authorities in the transit economy are also included. Since payment is by letter of credit, all documents required by banks for the issuance or securing of a letter of credit are also taken into account. Documents that are requested at the time of clearance but that are valid for a year or longer or do not require renewal per shipment (for example, an annual tax clearance certificate) are not included. Documents that are required by customs authorities purely for purposes of preferential treatment but are not required for any other purpose by any of the authorities in the process of trading are not included. The component indicator is computed based on the methodology in the DB06-15 studies.