Manufactures exports in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income): Manufactures exports was 19.4% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Manufactures exports in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), 1974–2024
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise exports.
Analysis
In 2024, manufactures exports in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) stood at 19.4%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.9% on the previous year and down 34.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, manufactures exports in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) peaked at 34.7% in 2002 and was at its lowest, 10.2%, in 1981.
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 39th of 46 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Manufactures exports in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | % of merchandise exports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | 13.5% | — |
| 1975 | 13.1% | -3.1% |
| 1976 | 15.1% | +15.0% |
| 1977 | 17.4% | +15.4% |
| 1978 | 15.8% | -9.1% |
| 1979 | 16.5% | +4.5% |
| 1981 | 10.2% | -38.5% |
| 1996 | 26.7% | +162.9% |
| 1997 | 28.6% | +7.1% |
| 1998 | 27.9% | -2.8% |
| 1999 | 28.5% | +2.2% |
| 2000 | 29.0% | +1.9% |
| 2001 | 29.1% | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 34.7% | +19.3% |
| 2003 | 30.8% | -11.3% |
| 2006 | 28.9% | -6.1% |
| 2007 | 28.1% | -2.8% |
| 2008 | 25.8% | -8.2% |
| 2009 | 28.0% | +8.4% |
| 2010 | 28.4% | +1.5% |
| 2011 | 24.8% | -12.6% |
| 2012 | 25.6% | +3.0% |
| 2013 | 27.0% | +5.6% |
| 2014 | 29.5% | +9.3% |
| 2015 | 27.7% | -6.1% |
| 2016 | 26.6% | -4.2% |
| 2017 | 24.0% | -9.7% |
| 2018 | 24.1% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 23.9% | -0.8% |
| 2020 | 22.3% | -6.7% |
| 2021 | 21.2% | -4.8% |
| 2022 | 20.2% | -4.6% |
| 2023 | 20.7% | +2.2% |
| 2024 | 19.4% | -5.9% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Manufactures exports in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | +162.9% | 10.2% | 26.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 15.3% | 13.1% | 17.4% | 6 |
| 1980s | 10.2% | 10.2% | 10.2% | 1 |
| 1990s | 27.9% | 26.7% | 28.6% | 4 |
| 2000s | 29.3% | 25.8% | 34.7% | 8 |
| 2010s | 26.2% | 23.9% | 29.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 20.8% | 19.4% | 22.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
More private sector data for Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
- Merchandise trade 44.5% (2025)
- Food imports 12.1% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 56.8% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 499.63 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 14.5% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 486.25 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 367.94 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.2201 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 11.25 % change on previous year (2025)
- Merchandise imports (current US$), per capita 378.07 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is manufactures exports in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Manufactures exports in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) was 19.4% in 2024, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest manufactures exports recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 34.7% in 2002.
- What is the lowest manufactures exports recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.2% in 1981.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) rank for manufactures exports?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 39th out of 46 groups with data for 2024.
- Is manufactures exports rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 34.2%. 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 Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division, published as part of Manufactures exports (% of merchandise exports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Manufactures comprise commodities in SITC (Rev. 3) sections 5 (chemicals), 6 (basic manufactures), 7 (machinery and transport equipment), and 8 (miscellaneous manufactured goods), excluding division 68 (non-ferrous metals). This indicator is expressed as a percentage of merchandise exports which is comprised of goods whose economic ownership is changed between a resident and a non-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.