Small states vs South Africa: Merchandise imports by the reporting economy

Small states
139.99 billion current US$
in 2023
South Africa
112.46 billion current US$
in 2023
Small states rank
43rd
South Africa rank
39th

Merchandise imports by the reporting economy over time

  • Small states
  • South Africa
050.0B100.0B150.0B196019912023

How they compare

Small states currently reports 139.99 billion current US$ against 112.46 billion current US$ in South Africa, a difference of 27.52 billion current US$.

That makes Small states's figure about 1.2 times South Africa's.

The two have swapped places 2 times across 26 shared years of data; in 1998 it was Small states ahead.

Small states ranks 43rd and South Africa ranks 39th of 47 groups.

Across the 4 decades both report, Small states averaged higher in 2 and South Africa in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade Small states South Africa Difference Ahead
1990s 30.16 billion current US$ 27.47 billion current US$ 2.69 billion current US$ Small states
2000s 50.16 billion current US$ 55.48 billion current US$ 5.31 billion current US$ South Africa
2010s 89.68 billion current US$ 96.49 billion current US$ 6.81 billion current US$ South Africa
2020s 123.63 billion current US$ 99.66 billion current US$ 23.97 billion current US$ Small states

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher merchandise imports by the reporting economy, Small states or South Africa?
Small states, at 139.99 billion current US$ against 112.46 billion current US$ in South Africa as of 2023.
What is the difference in merchandise imports by the reporting economy between Small states and South Africa?
27.52 billion current US$, with Small states ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Small states and South Africa?
26 years are reported by both, from 1998 to 2023.
How do Small states and South Africa rank globally for merchandise imports by the reporting economy?
Small states ranks 43rd and South Africa ranks 39th of 47 groups.
Where does this data come from?
Staff estimates, World Bank (WB), published as Merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Small states vs South Africa: Merchandise imports by the reporting economy. Statizoid, drawing on Staff estimates, World Bank (WB). Retrieved 08 September 2026, from https://private-sector.statizoid.com/compare/merchandise-imports-by-the-reporting-economy-current-us/small-states/south-africa/

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<a href="https://private-sector.statizoid.com/compare/merchandise-imports-by-the-reporting-economy-current-us/small-states/south-africa/">Small states vs South Africa: Merchandise imports by the reporting economy</a> — Statizoid

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.