Commercial service imports (current US$), per square kilometre in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Commercial service imports (current US$), per square kilometre was 5,531 current US$ per square kilometre in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Commercial service imports (current US$), per square kilometre in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1978–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in current US$ per square kilometre.
Analysis
Sub-Saharan Africa recorded 5,531 current US$ per square kilometre for commercial service imports (current us$), per square kilometre in 2023. That is the highest value across all 46 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.6% on the previous year and up 13.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, commercial service imports (current us$), per square kilometre in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 5,531 current US$ per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 570.48 current US$ per square kilometre, in 1978.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa 36th out of 44 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Commercial service imports (current US$), per square kilometre in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | current US$ per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | 570.48 current US$ per square kilometre | — |
| 1979 | 649.88 current US$ per square kilometre | +13.9% |
| 1980 | 902.33 current US$ per square kilometre | +38.8% |
| 1981 | 909.6 current US$ per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 1982 | 777.55 current US$ per square kilometre | -14.5% |
| 1983 | 698.37 current US$ per square kilometre | -10.2% |
| 1984 | 610.79 current US$ per square kilometre | -12.5% |
| 1985 | 614.24 current US$ per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 1986 | 603.51 current US$ per square kilometre | -1.7% |
| 1987 | 643.07 current US$ per square kilometre | +6.6% |
| 1988 | 706.15 current US$ per square kilometre | +9.8% |
| 1989 | 765.83 current US$ per square kilometre | +8.5% |
| 1990 | 891.81 current US$ per square kilometre | +16.4% |
| 1991 | 955.85 current US$ per square kilometre | +7.2% |
| 1992 | 967.67 current US$ per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1993 | 972.83 current US$ per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 997.03 current US$ per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 1995 | 1,023 current US$ per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 1996 | 1,074 current US$ per square kilometre | +5.0% |
| 1997 | 1,095 current US$ per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1998 | 1,125 current US$ per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 1999 | 1,204 current US$ per square kilometre | +7.1% |
| 2000 | 1,191 current US$ per square kilometre | -1.1% |
| 2001 | 1,287 current US$ per square kilometre | +8.1% |
| 2002 | 1,320 current US$ per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 2003 | 1,564 current US$ per square kilometre | +18.6% |
| 2004 | 1,903 current US$ per square kilometre | +21.6% |
| 2005 | 2,252 current US$ per square kilometre | +18.3% |
| 2006 | 2,846 current US$ per square kilometre | +26.4% |
| 2007 | 3,655 current US$ per square kilometre | +28.4% |
| 2008 | 4,729 current US$ per square kilometre | +29.4% |
| 2009 | 4,142 current US$ per square kilometre | -12.4% |
| 2010 | 4,657 current US$ per square kilometre | +12.4% |
| 2011 | 5,516 current US$ per square kilometre | +18.4% |
| 2012 | 4,882 current US$ per square kilometre | -11.5% |
| 2013 | 4,884 current US$ per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 5,241 current US$ per square kilometre | +7.3% |
| 2015 | 4,528 current US$ per square kilometre | -13.6% |
| 2016 | 3,896 current US$ per square kilometre | -14.0% |
| 2017 | 4,426 current US$ per square kilometre | +13.6% |
| 2018 | 5,173 current US$ per square kilometre | +16.9% |
| 2019 | 5,457 current US$ per square kilometre | +5.5% |
| 2020 | 4,117 current US$ per square kilometre | -24.6% |
| 2021 | 4,481 current US$ per square kilometre | +8.8% |
| 2022 | 5,391 current US$ per square kilometre | +20.3% |
| 2023 | 5,531 current US$ per square kilometre | +2.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 610.18 current US$ per square kilometre | 570.48 current US$ per square kilometre | 649.88 current US$ per square kilometre | 2 |
| 1980s | 723.14 current US$ per square kilometre | 603.51 current US$ per square kilometre | 909.6 current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,031 current US$ per square kilometre | 891.81 current US$ per square kilometre | 1,204 current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 2,489 current US$ per square kilometre | 1,191 current US$ per square kilometre | 4,729 current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 4,866 current US$ per square kilometre | 3,896 current US$ per square kilometre | 5,516 current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 4,880 current US$ per square kilometre | 4,117 current US$ per square kilometre | 5,531 current US$ per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
- 33 Mauritius 1.07 million current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 34 Austria 1.02 million current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 35 Tuvalu 894,477 current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 36 Saint Lucia 888,282 current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 37 Lebanon 645,739 current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 38 Japan 632,166 current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 39 France 615,686 current US$ per square kilometre compare
More private sector data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Merchandise trade 44.5% (2025)
- Food imports 12.1% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 56.8% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 501.15 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 14.7% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 19.4% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 486.80 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 368.33 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.2201 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 11.24 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is commercial service imports (current us$), per square kilometre in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Commercial service imports (current us$), per square kilometre in Sub-Saharan Africa was 5,531 current US$ per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest commercial service imports (current us$), per square kilometre recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 5,531 current US$ per square kilometre in 2023.
- What is the lowest commercial service imports (current us$), per square kilometre recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 570.48 current US$ per square kilometre in 1978.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for commercial service imports (current us$), per square kilometre?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 36th out of 44 groups with data for 2023.
- Is commercial service imports (current us$), per square kilometre rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Commercial service imports (current US$), per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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How this figure is calculated
Commercial service imports (current US$) divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Commercial service imports (current US$) ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Commercial service imports Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF)
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Commercial service imports (current US$) divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.