China vs South Africa: Merchandise imports (current US$), per capita
China
1,836 current US$ per person
in 2025
South Africa
1,978 current US$ per person
in 2025
China rank
128th
South Africa rank
125th
Merchandise imports (current US$), per capita over time
- China
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 1,978 current US$ per person against 1,836 current US$ per person in China, a difference of 142 current US$ per person.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times China's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 66 shared years of data; in 1960 it was South Africa ahead.
China ranks 128th and South Africa ranks 125th of 206 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.77 current US$ per person | 116.54 current US$ per person | 113.77 current US$ per person | South Africa |
| 1970s | 7.43 current US$ per person | 247.4 current US$ per person | 239.97 current US$ per person | South Africa |
| 1980s | 33.23 current US$ per person | 499.52 current US$ per person | 466.3 current US$ per person | South Africa |
| 1990s | 94.14 current US$ per person | 564.2 current US$ per person | 470.06 current US$ per person | South Africa |
| 2000s | 479.97 current US$ per person | 1,175 current US$ per person | 694.8 current US$ per person | South Africa |
| 2010s | 1,322 current US$ per person | 2,002 current US$ per person | 680.17 current US$ per person | South Africa |
| 2020s | 1,793 current US$ per person | 1,900 current US$ per person | 106.75 current US$ per person | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher merchandise imports (current us$), per capita, China or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 1,978 current US$ per person against 1,836 current US$ per person in China as of 2025.
- What is the difference in merchandise imports (current us$), per capita between China and South Africa?
- 142 current US$ per person, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and South Africa?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do China and South Africa rank globally for merchandise imports (current us$), per capita?
- China ranks 128th and South Africa ranks 125th of 206 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Statizoid (derived), published as Merchandise imports (current US$), per capita. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Merchandise imports (current US$) divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.