by Daniel Workman
Global purchases of imported diamonds cost a total US$126.1 billion in 2022.
Overall, the value of diamonds bought by all importing countries dropped by an average -3.6% since 2018 when diamond purchases totaled $130.8 billion.
Year over year, the dollar sum paid for imported diamonds increased by 5.1% compared to the $120 billion spent during 2021.
Collectively, the top 5 buyers of imported diamonds are India, United States of America, Hong Kong, United Arab Emirates then Belgium. Added together, that cohort of major diamond imports purchased nearly three-quarters (73.6%) of internationally sold diamonds in 2022.
From a continental perspective, Asian countries spent the most on imported diamonds during 2022 with purchases amounting to $77.7 billion or 61.8% of the global total. In second place were North American importers at 19.3% while another 15.7% of worldwide diamond imports went to European countries.
Smaller percentages went to Africa (2.7%), Oceania (0.4%) led by Australia and New Zealand, and Latin America (0.2%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean.
For research purposes, the 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix is 7102 for non-mounted and unset diamonds.
Below are the 15 countries that imported the highest dollar value worth of diamonds during 2022.
- India: US$27.3 billion (21.6% of total imported diamonds)
- United States: $23.7 billion (18.8%)
- Hong Kong: $15.7 billion (12.5%)
- United Arab Emirates: $13.3 billion (10.5%)
- Belgium: $12.8 billion (10.2%)
- China: $8.5 billion (6.7%)
- Israel: $5.9 billion (4.7%)
- Switzerland: $2.4 billion (1.9%)
- Thailand: $2.3 billion (1.9%)
- Botswana: $2.2 billion (1.7%)
- United Kingdom: $1.6 billion (1.3%)
- Singapore: $1.5 billion (1.2%)
- France: $1.1 billion (0.9%)
- Italy: $967.5 million (0.8%)
- South Africa: $839.3 million (0.7%)
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing markets for diamonds since 2021 were: France (up 65.2%), Singapore (up 42.9%), Thailand (up 34.2%) and Switzerland (up 33.7%).
Four major countries posted declines in their purchases of imported diamonds were: Botswana (down -25.1% from 2021), mainland China (down -14.3%), United Arab Emirates (down -9.8%) and Israel (down -4.3%).
By value, the listed 15 countries purchased 95.3% of all diamonds imported in 2022.
Diamond Imports into India
Below are the top 15 suppliers from which India imported the highest dollar value worth of diamonds during 2022. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country from 2021 to 2022.
- United Arab Emirates: US$9.9 billion (up 13.5% from 2021)
- United States of America: $5.6 billion (up 2.9%)
- Belgium: $5.2 billion (down -2.1%)
- Hong Kong: $1.3 billion (down -39%)
- Russia: $1.1 billion (up 26.4%)
- South Africa: $1 billion (up 11.2%)
- Israel: $961.3 million (down -18.9%)
- Thailand: $714.8 million (up 68.4%)
- Botswana: $472 million (down -19.1%)
- Singapore: $401.6 million (up 225.2%)
- Switzerland: $142.7 million (up 924.1%)
- United Kingdom: $101.5 million (down -4.9%)
- Japan: $99.2 million (down -30%)
- Canada: $67.3 million (down -15.6%)
- Angola: $64.4 million (down -22.4%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 95.7% of diamonds imported by India in 2022.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of diamonds to India since 2021 were: Switzerland (up 924.1%), Singapore (up 225.2%), Thailand (up 68.4%) and Russia (up 26.4%).
Countries that experienced declines in the value of their diamonds supplied to Indian importers included: Hong Kong (down -39%), Japan (down -30%), Angola (down -22.4%) and Botswana (down -19.1%).
Overall, the value of India’s imported diamonds rose by an average 3.9% from all supplying countries since 2021 when diamonds purchased cost $26.3 billion.
Diamond Imports into the United States
Below are the top 15 suppliers from which the United States imported the highest dollar value worth of diamonds during 2022. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country from 2021 to 2022.
- India: US$10.9 billion (down -1.1% from 2021)
- Israel: $6.3 billion (up 24.3%)
- Belgium: $3 billion (up 128.8%)
- South Africa: $873.3 million (down -15.1%)
- Botswana: $462.7 million (up 80%)
- Switzerland: $415.8 million (up 79.8%)
- Hong Kong: $225.4 million (up 222.3%)
- France: $194.9 million (up 209.6%)
- United Arab Emirates: $174.1 million (down -10.1%)
- Namibia: $132 million (up 10%)
- Angola: $124.3 million (up 167.1%)
- Canada: $123.9 million (up 58.1%)
- Thailand: $111.7 million (up 161.1%)
- Mauritius: $101.4 million (up 33.9%)
- United Kingdom: $100.6 million (up 39%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 98% of diamonds imported by the United States of America in 2022.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of diamonds to the United States since 2021 were: Hong Kong (up 222.3%), France (up 209.6%), Angola (up 167.1%) and Thailand (up 161.1%).
Three major providers experienced declines in the value of their diamonds supplied to American importers, namely: South Africa (down -15.1% from 2021), United Arab Emirates (down -10.1%) and India (down -1.1%).
Overall, the value of America’s imported diamonds increased by an average 17.1% from all supplying countries since 2021 when diamonds purchased cost $20.2 billion.
Diamond Imports into Hong Kong
Below are the top 15 suppliers from which Hong Kong imported the highest dollar value worth of diamonds during 2022. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country from 2021 to 2022.
- India: US$5.4 billion (down -19.2% from 2021)
- mainland China: $2.1 billion (up 7.1%)
- United States of America: $1.75 billion (up 32.4%)
- United Arab Emirates: $1.4 billion (up 2%)
- Belgium: $1 billion (down -14.1%)
- Israel: $895.3 million (up 1.2%)
- Singapore: $652.2 million (up 266.7%)
- Botswana: $541.4 million (up 54.6%)
- Thailand: $380.5 million (up 23.6%)
- Switzerland: $316.7 million (up 56%)
- Japan: $313.1 million (up 18.3%)
- United Kingdom: $213.7 million (up 9.7%)
- Angola: $129.5 million (up 1,182%)
- South Africa: $113.1 million (down -16.2%)
- Taiwan: $94.3 million (up 155.9%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 97.5% of diamonds imported by Hong Kong in 2022.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of diamonds to Hong Kong since 2021 were: Angola (up 1,182%), Singapore (up 266.7%), Taiwan (up 155.9%) and Switzerland (up 56%).
Three major providers experienced declines in the value of their diamonds supplied to Hong Kong importers, namely: India (down -19.2% from 2021), South Africa (down -16.2%) and Belgium (down -14.1%).
Overall, the value of Hong Kong’s imported diamonds rose by an average 2.1% from all supplying countries since 2021 when diamonds purchased cost $15.4 billion.
Diamond Imports into Belgium
Below are the top 15 suppliers from which Belgium imported the highest dollar value worth of diamonds during 2022. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country from 2021 to 2022.
- India: US$3 billion (up 28.6% from 2021)
- United Arab Emirates: $1.8 billion (up 29.5%)
- Canada: $1.6 billion (up 42.1%)
- Russia: $1.5 billion (down -31.4%)
- Botswana: $1.4 billion (up 13%)
- Angola: $728.3 million (up 20.1%)
- South Africa: $608.4 million (down -16.1%)
- Israel: $408.6 million (up 7.6%)
- Lesotho: $307.2 million (up 21.8%)
- United States of America: $185.6 million (up 211.5%)
- Singapore: $165.5 million (down -26.1%)
- Namibia: $145.2 million (down -27.3%)
- Hong Kong: $132.3 million (down -36.8%)
- mainland China: $112 million (up 46%)
- Democratic Rep. Congo: $101.6 million (up 70.1%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 95% of diamonds imported by Belgium in 2022.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of diamonds to Belgium since 2021 were: United States of America (up 211.5%), Democratic Republic of the Congo (up 70.1%), mainland China (up 46%) and Canada (up 42.1%).
Major providers that experienced declines in the value of their diamonds supplied to Belgian importers included: Hong Kong (down -36.8% from 2021), Russia (down -31.4%), Namibia (down -27.3%) and Singapore (down -26.1%).
Overall, the value of Belgium’s imported diamonds went up by an average 11.9% from all supplying countries since 2021 when diamonds purchased cost $11.5 billion.
The top 100 importers of diamonds listed in the following database contributed 99.999% of the overall value of diamonds imported during 2022.
| Rank | Importer | Diamond Imports | 2021-2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | India | $27,301,703,000 | +3.9% |
| 2. | United States | $23,676,721,000 | +17.1% |
| 3. | Hong Kong | $15,719,314,000 | +2.1% |
| 4. | United Arab Emirates | $13,277,375,000 | -9.8% |
| 5. | Belgium | $12,830,498,000 | +11.9% |
| 6. | China | $8,476,606,000 | -14.3% |
| 7. | Israel | $5,923,724,000 | -4.3% |
| 8. | Switzerland | $2,432,742,000 | +33.7% |
| 9. | Thailand | $2,333,562,000 | +34.2% |
| 10. | Botswana | $2,206,276,000 | -25.1% |
| 11. | United Kingdom | $1,606,497,000 | +9.7% |
| 12. | Singapore | $1,517,273,000 | +42.9% |
| 13. | France | $1,128,277,000 | +65.2% |
| 14. | Italy | $967,455,000 | +15.1% |
| 15. | South Africa | $839,330,000 | +25.3% |
| 16. | Vietnam | $630,383,000 | +45% |
| 17. | Japan | $617,000,000 | -1.5% |
| 18. | Lebanon | $506,396,000 | +5.7% |
| 19. | Australia | $431,796,000 | -16.2% |
| 20. | Canada | $404,568,000 | +1.9% |
| 21. | Armenia | $389,981,000 | +216.2% |
| 22. | Germany | $280,170,000 | +18.2% |
| 23. | Namibia | $266,539,000 | +42% |
| 24. | Sri Lanka | $189,376,000 | +35.2% |
| 25. | Türkiye | $184,407,000 | +38.3% |
| 26. | Russia | $177,517,000 | +4.8% |
| 27. | Cambodia | $174,609,000 | +251.5% |
| 28. | Mexico | $130,319,000 | +9.7% |
| 29. | South Korea | $123,091,000 | +9.8% |
| 30. | Mauritius | $106,647,000 | +37.6% |
| 31. | British Virgin Is | $97,724,000 | +95% |
| 32. | Taiwan | $96,588,000 | +37.1% |
| 33. | Malaysia | $87,800,000 | +22.1% |
| 34. | Cayman Islands | $70,877,000 | +108942% |
| 35. | Spain | $68,697,000 | +26% |
| 36. | Indonesia | $62,764,000 | +35.4% |
| 37. | Curaçao | $47,313,000 | +126.3% |
| 38. | Austria | $31,798,000 | +28.4% |
| 39. | New Zealand | $29,010,000 | -8.6% |
| 40. | Netherlands | $26,389,000 | -10.5% |
| 41. | Bahrain | $23,259,000 | +42.8% |
| 42. | Czech Republic | $21,226,000 | +20.2% |
| 43. | Denmark | $20,974,000 | +3.4% |
| 44. | Ireland | $20,897,000 | -26.1% |
| 45. | Brazil | $20,772,000 | +30.7% |
| 46. | Macao | $17,484,000 | -51.4% |
| 47. | Saudi Arabia | $13,974,000 | -31.5% |
| 48. | Poland | $13,335,000 | +28% |
| 49. | Nepal | $12,670,000 | -47.6% |
| 50. | Laos | $12,425,000 | +12.7% |
| 51. | Sweden | $11,485,000 | -21.7% |
| 52. | Greece | $9,141,000 | +49% |
| 53. | Norway | $8,722,000 | -9.8% |
| 54. | Morocco | $8,077,000 | +27.6% |
| 55. | Malta | $7,931,000 | +277.7% |
| 56. | Cyprus | $6,885,000 | +28.1% |
| 57. | Belarus | $6,181,000 | 0% |
| 58. | Portugal | $5,004,000 | +596% |
| 59. | Finland | $4,122,000 | +22% |
| 60. | Jordan | $3,656,000 | +13.5% |
| 61. | Bulgaria | $3,279,000 | -27.5% |
| 62. | Panama | $2,887,000 | +142.2% |
| 63. | Tunisia | $2,666,000 | +18.2% |
| 64. | Dominican Republic | $2,458,000 | +10.6% |
| 65. | Peru | $2,371,000 | -8.8% |
| 66. | Eswatini | $2,080,000 | 0% |
| 67. | Croatia | $2,053,000 | +119.1% |
| 68. | Oman | $1,994,000 | +849.5% |
| 69. | Kazakhstan | $1,778,000 | +35.8% |
| 70. | Slovenia | $1,668,000 | +7.8% |
| 71. | Colombia | $1,170,000 | +44.1% |
| 72. | Philippines | $1,149,000 | +74.1% |
| 73. | Lithuania | $1,117,000 | +53.9% |
| 74. | Honduras | $1,109,000 | 0% |
| 75. | Hungary | $1,099,000 | +43.5% |
| 76. | Liberia | $1,085,000 | -60.2% |
| 77. | Serbia | $1,044,000 | +0.6% |
| 78. | Andorra | $994,000 | -9.3% |
| 79. | Saint Kitts/Nevis | $939,000 | +445.9% |
| 80. | Aruba | $933,000 | +54% |
| 81. | Luxembourg | $839,000 | +9.5% |
| 82. | Egypt | $769,000 | -88% |
| 83. | Kuwait | $632,000 | -92.8% |
| 84. | Qatar | $515,000 | -99.2% |
| 85. | Estonia | $507,000 | -22.9% |
| 86. | Chile | $495,000 | -4.4% |
| 87. | Slovakia | $490,000 | -24.7% |
| 88. | New Caledonia | $444,000 | -30% |
| 89. | Latvia | $425,000 | +75.6% |
| 90. | El Salvador | $370,000 | -12.7% |
| 91. | Iceland | $357,000 | -4.3% |
| 92. | Jamaica | $335,000 | 0% |
| 93. | Turks/Caicos Islands | $317,000 | 0% |
| 94. | Azerbaijan | $313,000 | +158.7% |
| 95. | Guatemala | $289,000 | +50.5% |
| 96. | Uzbekistan | $282,000 | -0.4% |
| 97. | French Polynesia | $260,000 | -16.1% |
| 98. | Bahamas | $231,000 | +285% |
| 99. | Ukraine | $203,000 | -89.9% |
| 100. | Belize | $170,000 | +95.4% |
Focusing the scope of our analysis on the top 100 buyers, the fastest-growing importers of diamonds from international markets were: Cayman Islands (up 108,942% from 2021), Oman (up 849.5%), Portugal (up 596%), Saint Kitts and Nevis (up 445.9%) and the Bahamas (up 285%).
You can change the presentation order by clicking the triangle icon at the top of any of the above table columns. An entry of 0% in the right-most column means that 2021 data was unavailable.
See also Diamonds Exports by Country, America’s Top Trading Partners, India’s Top Trading Partners, India’s Top Trading Partners and Exported Paintings and Drawings by Country
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Imports – Commodities. Accessed on August 15, 2023
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on August 15, 2023
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on August 15, 2023
