Saudi Arabia vs Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries): Merchandise imports by the reporting economy

Saudi Arabia
210.68 billion current US$
in 2023
Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
467.85 billion current US$
in 2023
Saudi Arabia rank
30th
Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) rank
31st

Merchandise imports by the reporting economy over time

  • Saudi Arabia
  • Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
0100.0B200.0B300.0B400.0B500.0B196019912023

How they compare

Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) currently reports 467.85 billion current US$ against 210.68 billion current US$ in Saudi Arabia, a difference of 257.17 billion current US$.

That makes Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)'s figure about 2.2 times Saudi Arabia's.

The two have swapped places 4 times across 60 shared years of data; in 1964 it was Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) ahead.

Saudi Arabia ranks 30th and Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 31st of 206 countries.

Across the 7 decades both report, Saudi Arabia averaged higher in 1 and Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) in 6.

Head to head by decade

Decade Saudi Arabia Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) Difference Ahead
1960s 464.60 million current US$ 4.47 billion current US$ 4.01 billion current US$ Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
1970s 7.57 billion current US$ 15.33 billion current US$ 7.76 billion current US$ Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
1980s 27.73 billion current US$ 26.90 billion current US$ 832.20 million current US$ Saudi Arabia
1990s 27.47 billion current US$ 47.77 billion current US$ 20.30 billion current US$ Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
2000s 59.10 billion current US$ 173.51 billion current US$ 114.41 billion current US$ Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
2010s 141.25 billion current US$ 376.09 billion current US$ 234.83 billion current US$ Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
2020s 169.16 billion current US$ 411.64 billion current US$ 242.48 billion current US$ Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher merchandise imports by the reporting economy, Saudi Arabia or Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries), at 467.85 billion current US$ against 210.68 billion current US$ in Saudi Arabia as of 2023.
What is the difference in merchandise imports by the reporting economy between Saudi Arabia and Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
257.17 billion current US$, with Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Saudi Arabia and Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
60 years are reported by both, from 1964 to 2023.
How do Saudi Arabia and Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) rank globally for merchandise imports by the reporting economy?
Saudi Arabia ranks 30th and Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 31st of 206 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Staff estimates, World Bank (WB), published as Merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Saudi Arabia vs Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries): Merchandise imports by the reporting economy. Statizoid, drawing on Staff estimates, World Bank (WB). Retrieved 13 September 2026, from https://private-sector.statizoid.com/compare/merchandise-imports-by-the-reporting-economy-current-us/saudi-arabia/sub-saharan-africa-ida-and-ibrd-countries/

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About this data

Indicator
Merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$)
Unit
current US$
Source
Staff estimates, World Bank (WB)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
253 places, 13,515 data points, 1960–2023
Last refreshed

Merchandise imports by the reporting economy are the total merchandise imports by the reporting economy from the rest of the world, as reported in the IMF's Direction of trade database. Data are in current U.S. dollars.