North Korea vs Sub-Saharan Africa: Merchandise imports (current US$), annual growth rate
North Korea
22.61 % change on previous year
in 2025
Sub-Saharan Africa
7.73 % change on previous year
in 2025
North Korea rank
15th
Sub-Saharan Africa rank
18th
Merchandise imports (current US$), annual growth rate over time
- North Korea
- Sub-Saharan Africa
How they compare
North Korea currently reports 22.61 % change on previous year against 7.73 % change on previous year in Sub-Saharan Africa, a difference of 14.88 % change on previous year.
That makes North Korea's figure about 2.9 times Sub-Saharan Africa's.
The two have swapped places 16 times across 45 shared years of data; in 1981 it was North Korea ahead.
North Korea ranks 15th and Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 18th of 206 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, North Korea averaged higher in 2 and Sub-Saharan Africa in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | North Korea | Sub-Saharan Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 10.68 % change on previous year | -1.72 % change on previous year | 12.4 % change on previous year | North Korea |
| 1990s | -7.08 % change on previous year | 4.19 % change on previous year | 11.27 % change on previous year | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 2000s | 10.97 % change on previous year | 13.78 % change on previous year | 2.81 % change on previous year | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 2010s | 1.2 % change on previous year | 4.28 % change on previous year | 3.08 % change on previous year | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 2020s | 20.55 % change on previous year | 5.56 % change on previous year | 14.99 % change on previous year | North Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher merchandise imports (current us$), annual growth rate, North Korea or Sub-Saharan Africa?
- North Korea, at 22.61 % change on previous year against 7.73 % change on previous year in Sub-Saharan Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in merchandise imports (current us$), annual growth rate between North Korea and Sub-Saharan Africa?
- 14.88 % change on previous year, with North Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for North Korea and Sub-Saharan Africa?
- 45 years are reported by both, from 1981 to 2025.
- How do North Korea and Sub-Saharan Africa rank globally for merchandise imports (current us$), annual growth rate?
- North Korea ranks 15th and Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 18th of 206 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Statizoid (derived), published as Merchandise imports (current US$), annual growth rate. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
The year-on-year percentage change in Merchandise imports (current US$). Computed from consecutive annual observations; years either side of a gap are skipped rather than bridged.