Saudi Arabia vs Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries): Merchandise imports
Merchandise imports over time
- Saudi Arabia
- Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
How they compare
Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) currently reports 501.15 billion current US$ against 254.06 billion current US$ in Saudi Arabia, a difference of 247.09 billion current US$.
That makes Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)'s figure about 2.0 times Saudi Arabia's.
Across all 66 years both countries report, Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) has been ahead every year.
Saudi Arabia ranks 27th and Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 31st of 206 countries.
Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Saudi Arabia | Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 447.70 million current US$ | 7.21 billion current US$ | 6.76 billion current US$ | Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) |
| 1970s | 7.99 billion current US$ | 25.53 billion current US$ | 17.54 billion current US$ | Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) |
| 1980s | 28.47 billion current US$ | 54.76 billion current US$ | 26.29 billion current US$ | Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) |
| 1990s | 28.10 billion current US$ | 71.75 billion current US$ | 43.65 billion current US$ | Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) |
| 2000s | 61.30 billion current US$ | 173.30 billion current US$ | 112.00 billion current US$ | Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) |
| 2010s | 147.56 billion current US$ | 382.06 billion current US$ | 234.50 billion current US$ | Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) |
| 2020s | 195.76 billion current US$ | 442.49 billion current US$ | 246.74 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, Saudi Arabia or Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries), at 501.15 billion current US$ against 254.06 billion current US$ in Saudi Arabia as of 2025.
- What is the difference in merchandise imports between Saudi Arabia and Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- 247.09 billion current US$, with Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Saudi Arabia and Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do Saudi Arabia and Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) rank globally for merchandise imports?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 27th and Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 31st of 206 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Trade Organization (WTO), published as Merchandise imports (current US$). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Merchandise imports includes goods whose economic ownership is changed from a non-resident to a resident and that are not included in the following specific categories: goods under merchanting, non-monetary gold, and parts of travel, construction, and government goods and services n.i.e. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This indicator is expressed in United States dollars.