Computer, communications and other services (%) … imports in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income): Computer, communications and other services (%) … imports was 37.9% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Computer, communications and other services in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), 1977–2025
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of commercial service imports.
Analysis
In 2025, computer, communications and other services in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) stood at 37.9%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 9.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, computer, communications and other services in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) peaked at 43.8% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 24.1%, in 1981.
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 30th of 47 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 49 years of available data.
Computer, communications and other services (%) … imports in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | % of commercial service imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | 25.8% | — |
| 1978 | 28.1% | +8.7% |
| 1979 | 27.6% | -1.8% |
| 1980 | 26.8% | -2.7% |
| 1981 | 24.1% | -10.1% |
| 1982 | 24.7% | +2.6% |
| 1983 | 25.9% | +4.8% |
| 1984 | 25.3% | -2.3% |
| 1985 | 28.8% | +13.7% |
| 1986 | 28.3% | -1.7% |
| 1987 | 29.2% | +3.2% |
| 1988 | 27.0% | -7.5% |
| 1989 | 24.2% | -10.4% |
| 1990 | 25.8% | +6.7% |
| 1991 | 24.2% | -6.3% |
| 1992 | 24.8% | +2.6% |
| 1993 | 29.9% | +20.6% |
| 1994 | 27.5% | -8.0% |
| 1995 | 31.0% | +12.8% |
| 1996 | 32.7% | +5.5% |
| 1997 | 28.9% | -11.7% |
| 1998 | 29.7% | +2.9% |
| 1999 | 30.9% | +3.8% |
| 2000 | 30.5% | -1.3% |
| 2001 | 32.0% | +5.0% |
| 2002 | 32.6% | +1.8% |
| 2003 | 29.1% | -10.7% |
| 2004 | 27.4% | -5.9% |
| 2005 | 30.0% | +9.7% |
| 2006 | 30.0% | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 29.1% | -2.9% |
| 2008 | 27.4% | -5.9% |
| 2009 | 32.3% | +17.8% |
| 2010 | 32.8% | +1.6% |
| 2011 | 33.7% | +2.8% |
| 2012 | 32.4% | -3.7% |
| 2013 | 33.8% | +4.3% |
| 2014 | 35.5% | +5.0% |
| 2015 | 34.7% | -2.3% |
| 2016 | 37.1% | +6.9% |
| 2017 | 36.9% | -0.6% |
| 2018 | 37.7% | +2.1% |
| 2019 | 37.7% | -0.0% |
| 2020 | 43.8% | +16.3% |
| 2021 | 40.0% | -8.7% |
| 2022 | 34.1% | -14.7% |
| 2023 | 36.9% | +8.2% |
| 2024 | 37.8% | +2.4% |
| 2025 | 37.9% | +0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 27.1% | 25.8% | 28.1% | 3 |
| 1980s | 26.4% | 24.1% | 29.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 28.6% | 24.2% | 32.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 30.0% | 27.4% | 32.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 35.2% | 32.4% | 37.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 38.4% | 34.1% | 43.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
- 27 Dominica 57.4% compare
- 28 South Korea 57.4% compare
- 29 Senegal 56.6% compare
- 30 Ghana 56.1% compare
- 31 New Caledonia 56.0% compare
- 32 United Kingdom 55.3% compare
- 33 France 54.9% compare
More private sector data for Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
- Merchandise trade 44.5% (2025)
- Food imports 12.2% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 56.9% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 499.63 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service imports 146.00 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 14.6% (2025)
- Manufactures exports 19.5% (2025)
- Merchandise exports 486.25 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service exports 86.65 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 367.94 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is computer, communications and other services in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Computer, communications and other services in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) was 37.9% in 2025, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest computer, communications and other services recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 43.8% in 2020.
- What is the lowest computer, communications and other services recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.1% in 1981.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) rank for computer, communications and other services?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 30th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is computer, communications and other services rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) data come from?
- The figures come from Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Computer, communications and other services (% of commercial service imports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Computer, communications and other services include such activities as international telecommunications, and postal and courier services; computer data; news-related service transactions between residents and nonresidents; construction services; royalties and license fees; miscellaneous business, professional, and technical services; and personal, cultural, and recreational services. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of service imports which are commercial services provided by non-residents to residents.