Manufactures imports (% of merchandise imports) in Africa Western and Central
Africa Western and Central: Manufactures imports (% of merchandise imports) was 48.7% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Manufactures imports in Africa Western and Central, 1962–2024
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise imports.
Analysis
In 2024, manufactures imports in Africa Western and Central stood at 48.7%. That is the lowest value across all 47 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 10.3% on the previous year and down 24.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, manufactures imports in Africa Western and Central peaked at 78.0% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 48.7%, in 2024.
That places Africa Western and Central 47th out of 47 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 47 years of available data.
Manufactures imports (% of merchandise imports) in Africa Western and Central, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | 72.2% | — |
| 1963 | 73.1% | +1.3% |
| 1964 | 73.9% | +1.0% |
| 1965 | 76.1% | +3.0% |
| 1966 | 75.8% | -0.4% |
| 1967 | 75.3% | -0.7% |
| 1968 | 73.7% | -2.2% |
| 1969 | 72.9% | -1.0% |
| 1970 | 78.0% | +6.9% |
| 1971 | 76.8% | -1.5% |
| 1972 | 75.0% | -2.4% |
| 1973 | 74.7% | -0.4% |
| 1974 | 70.3% | -5.8% |
| 1975 | 74.8% | +6.3% |
| 1976 | 76.3% | +2.0% |
| 1977 | 75.1% | -1.6% |
| 1978 | 73.6% | -2.0% |
| 1979 | 71.5% | -2.9% |
| 1981 | 68.0% | -4.9% |
| 1983 | 69.2% | +1.8% |
| 1996 | 68.3% | -1.4% |
| 1997 | 66.7% | -2.4% |
| 1998 | 67.4% | +1.1% |
| 1999 | 63.4% | -5.9% |
| 2000 | 62.7% | -1.1% |
| 2001 | 62.3% | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 66.1% | +6.1% |
| 2003 | 62.0% | -6.2% |
| 2006 | 64.8% | +4.5% |
| 2007 | 67.5% | +4.1% |
| 2008 | 70.3% | +4.2% |
| 2009 | 73.2% | +4.1% |
| 2010 | 74.0% | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 60.6% | -18.1% |
| 2012 | 67.2% | +10.8% |
| 2013 | 62.3% | -7.3% |
| 2014 | 64.1% | +3.0% |
| 2015 | 65.2% | +1.6% |
| 2016 | 64.1% | -1.6% |
| 2017 | 60.2% | -6.1% |
| 2018 | 60.3% | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 65.8% | +9.1% |
| 2020 | 61.8% | -6.0% |
| 2021 | 56.6% | -8.5% |
| 2022 | 51.5% | -9.0% |
| 2023 | 54.3% | +5.5% |
| 2024 | 48.7% | -10.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 74.1% | 72.2% | 76.1% | 8 |
| 1970s | 74.6% | 70.3% | 78.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 68.6% | 68.0% | 69.2% | 2 |
| 1990s | 66.4% | 63.4% | 68.3% | 4 |
| 2000s | 66.1% | 62.0% | 73.2% | 8 |
| 2010s | 64.4% | 60.2% | 74.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 54.6% | 48.7% | 61.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Africa Western and Central
More private sector data for Africa Western and Central
- Merchandise trade 43.1% (2025)
- Food imports 15.2% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 163.34 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service imports 64.22 billion current US$ (2024)
- Food exports 15.1% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 5.8% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 204.10 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service exports 23.98 billion current US$ (2024)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 383.07 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.2394 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is manufactures imports in Africa Western and Central?
- Manufactures imports in Africa Western and Central was 48.7% in 2024, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest manufactures imports recorded in Africa Western and Central?
- The highest recorded value was 78.0% in 1970.
- What is the lowest manufactures imports recorded in Africa Western and Central?
- The lowest recorded value was 48.7% in 2024.
- How does Africa Western and Central rank for manufactures imports?
- Africa Western and Central ranks 47th out of 47 groups with data for 2024.
- Is manufactures imports rising or falling in Africa Western and Central?
- Over the last ten years it is down 24.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Africa Western and Central data come from?
- The figures come from Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division, published as part of Manufactures imports (% of merchandise imports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 47 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
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 imports which is comprised of goods whose economic ownership is changed between a non-resident and 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.