Manufactures imports in South Africa
South Africa: Manufactures imports was 62.1% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Manufactures imports in South Africa, 1974–2025
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise imports.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 62.1% for manufactures imports in 2025.
The figure is up 2.3% on the previous year and down 6.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, manufactures imports in South Africa peaked at 88.5% in 1978 and was at its lowest, 60.2%, in 2022.
South Africa ranks 94th of 196 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 46 years of available data.
Manufactures imports in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | 85.6% | — |
| 1975 | 87.8% | +2.5% |
| 1976 | 86.8% | -1.1% |
| 1977 | 85.5% | -1.5% |
| 1978 | 88.5% | +3.5% |
| 1979 | 87.7% | -1.0% |
| 1980 | 62.2% | -29.1% |
| 1981 | 67.0% | +7.8% |
| 1982 | 68.5% | +2.2% |
| 1983 | 69.0% | +0.7% |
| 1984 | 72.2% | +4.7% |
| 1985 | 70.0% | -3.1% |
| 1992 | 75.2% | +7.4% |
| 1993 | 80.5% | +7.1% |
| 1994 | 83.6% | +3.9% |
| 1995 | 77.8% | -6.9% |
| 1996 | 71.6% | -8.0% |
| 1997 | 68.8% | -3.8% |
| 1998 | 75.5% | +9.7% |
| 1999 | 72.2% | -4.4% |
| 2000 | 68.2% | -5.5% |
| 2001 | 69.0% | +1.1% |
| 2002 | 69.3% | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 69.5% | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 68.0% | -2.2% |
| 2005 | 68.9% | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 65.3% | -5.2% |
| 2007 | 64.7% | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 61.4% | -5.1% |
| 2009 | 63.8% | +3.9% |
| 2010 | 64.7% | +1.5% |
| 2011 | 63.0% | -2.7% |
| 2012 | 61.6% | -2.3% |
| 2013 | 62.8% | +2.0% |
| 2014 | 60.8% | -3.2% |
| 2015 | 66.4% | +9.3% |
| 2016 | 66.4% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 65.1% | -1.9% |
| 2018 | 62.2% | -4.4% |
| 2019 | 63.4% | +1.9% |
| 2020 | 65.8% | +3.6% |
| 2021 | 63.6% | -3.2% |
| 2022 | 60.2% | -5.5% |
| 2023 | 60.6% | +0.8% |
| 2024 | 60.7% | +0.1% |
| 2025 | 62.1% | +2.3% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 62.1% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 63.2%, 98% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 62.1% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 55.3%, 1.1× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Manufactures imports in South Africa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | -29.1% | 87.7% | 62.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 87.0% | 85.5% | 88.5% | 6 |
| 1980s | 68.2% | 62.2% | 72.2% | 6 |
| 1990s | 75.6% | 68.8% | 83.6% | 8 |
| 2000s | 66.8% | 61.4% | 69.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 63.6% | 60.8% | 66.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 62.2% | 60.2% | 65.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 91 Libya 62.7% compare
- 92 Angola 62.6% compare
- 93 Faroe Islands 62.3% compare
- 95 El Salvador 62.0% compare
- 96 Trinidad and Tobago 61.9% compare
- 97 Tajikistan 61.9% compare
More private sector data for South Africa
- Merchandise trade 57.2% (2025)
- Food imports 7.2% (2025)
- Merchandise imports 128.08 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 12.8% (2025)
- Manufactures exports 38.3% (2025)
- Merchandise exports 116.40 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 1,798 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.2725 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 5.74 % change on previous year (2025)
- Merchandise imports (current US$), per capita 1,978 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is manufactures imports in South Africa?
- Manufactures imports in South Africa was 62.1% in 2025, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest manufactures imports recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 88.5% in 1978.
- What is the lowest manufactures imports recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 60.2% in 2022.
- How does South Africa rank for manufactures imports?
- South Africa ranks 94th out of 196 countries with data for 2025.
- Is manufactures imports rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa 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 — 46 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.