Merchandise exports (current US$), per square kilometre in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Merchandise exports (current US$), per square kilometre was 17,710 current US$ per square kilometre in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
17,710 current US$ per square kilometre
Change on year
down 4.4%
Rank
37th
of 45 groups
All-time high
21,443 current US$ per square kilometre
in 2011
All-time low
291.5 current US$ per square kilometre
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Merchandise exports (current US$), per square kilometre in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in current US$ per square kilometre.
Analysis
In 2023, merchandise exports (current us$), per square kilometre in Sub-Saharan Africa stood at 17,710 current US$ per square kilometre.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.4% on the previous year and up 1.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise exports (current us$), per square kilometre in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 21,443 current US$ per square kilometre in 2011 and was at its lowest, 291.5 current US$ per square kilometre, in 1961.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa 37th out of 45 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.
Merchandise exports (current US$), per square kilometre in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | current US$ per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 291.5 current US$ per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 301.93 current US$ per square kilometre | +3.6% |
| 1963 | 338.39 current US$ per square kilometre | +12.1% |
| 1964 | 375.06 current US$ per square kilometre | +10.8% |
| 1965 | 393.21 current US$ per square kilometre | +4.8% |
| 1966 | 420.73 current US$ per square kilometre | +7.0% |
| 1967 | 430.8 current US$ per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 1968 | 465.88 current US$ per square kilometre | +8.1% |
| 1969 | 525.82 current US$ per square kilometre | +12.9% |
| 1970 | 574.5 current US$ per square kilometre | +9.3% |
| 1971 | 625.85 current US$ per square kilometre | +8.9% |
| 1972 | 693.25 current US$ per square kilometre | +10.8% |
| 1973 | 994.82 current US$ per square kilometre | +43.5% |
| 1974 | 1,599 current US$ per square kilometre | +60.7% |
| 1975 | 1,480 current US$ per square kilometre | -7.5% |
| 1976 | 1,643 current US$ per square kilometre | +11.1% |
| 1977 | 1,949 current US$ per square kilometre | +18.6% |
| 1978 | 1,989 current US$ per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1979 | 2,857 current US$ per square kilometre | +43.6% |
| 1980 | 3,898 current US$ per square kilometre | +36.4% |
| 1981 | 3,090 current US$ per square kilometre | -20.7% |
| 1982 | 2,583 current US$ per square kilometre | -16.4% |
| 1983 | 2,501 current US$ per square kilometre | -3.1% |
| 1984 | 2,568 current US$ per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 1985 | 2,547 current US$ per square kilometre | -0.8% |
| 1986 | 2,284 current US$ per square kilometre | -10.3% |
| 1987 | 2,655 current US$ per square kilometre | +16.2% |
| 1988 | 2,730 current US$ per square kilometre | +2.8% |
| 1989 | 3,050 current US$ per square kilometre | +11.7% |
| 1990 | 3,425 current US$ per square kilometre | +12.3% |
| 1991 | 3,206 current US$ per square kilometre | -6.4% |
| 1992 | 3,235 current US$ per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 1993 | 2,995 current US$ per square kilometre | -7.4% |
| 1994 | 3,088 current US$ per square kilometre | +3.1% |
| 1995 | 3,643 current US$ per square kilometre | +18.0% |
| 1996 | 4,097 current US$ per square kilometre | +12.5% |
| 1997 | 4,149 current US$ per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1998 | 3,469 current US$ per square kilometre | -16.4% |
| 1999 | 3,765 current US$ per square kilometre | +8.5% |
| 2000 | 4,485 current US$ per square kilometre | +19.1% |
| 2001 | 4,265 current US$ per square kilometre | -4.9% |
| 2002 | 4,548 current US$ per square kilometre | +6.6% |
| 2003 | 5,564 current US$ per square kilometre | +22.4% |
| 2004 | 7,476 current US$ per square kilometre | +34.3% |
| 2005 | 9,379 current US$ per square kilometre | +25.5% |
| 2006 | 11,064 current US$ per square kilometre | +18.0% |
| 2007 | 13,205 current US$ per square kilometre | +19.3% |
| 2008 | 16,760 current US$ per square kilometre | +26.9% |
| 2009 | 12,383 current US$ per square kilometre | -26.1% |
| 2010 | 16,772 current US$ per square kilometre | +35.4% |
| 2011 | 21,443 current US$ per square kilometre | +27.9% |
| 2012 | 18,626 current US$ per square kilometre | -13.1% |
| 2013 | 17,530 current US$ per square kilometre | -5.9% |
| 2014 | 17,642 current US$ per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 12,514 current US$ per square kilometre | -29.1% |
| 2016 | 11,148 current US$ per square kilometre | -10.9% |
| 2017 | 13,130 current US$ per square kilometre | +17.8% |
| 2018 | 15,334 current US$ per square kilometre | +16.8% |
| 2019 | 14,264 current US$ per square kilometre | -7.0% |
| 2020 | 12,388 current US$ per square kilometre | -13.2% |
| 2021 | 16,505 current US$ per square kilometre | +33.2% |
| 2022 | 18,532 current US$ per square kilometre | +12.3% |
| 2023 | 17,710 current US$ per square kilometre | -4.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 393.7 current US$ per square kilometre | 291.5 current US$ per square kilometre | 525.82 current US$ per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 1,441 current US$ per square kilometre | 574.5 current US$ per square kilometre | 2,857 current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 2,791 current US$ per square kilometre | 2,284 current US$ per square kilometre | 3,898 current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 3,507 current US$ per square kilometre | 2,995 current US$ per square kilometre | 4,149 current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 8,913 current US$ per square kilometre | 4,265 current US$ per square kilometre | 16,760 current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 15,840 current US$ per square kilometre | 11,148 current US$ per square kilometre | 21,443 current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 16,284 current US$ per square kilometre | 12,388 current US$ per square kilometre | 18,532 current US$ per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
- 34 Poland 1.25 million current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 35 France 1.21 million current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 36 Seychelles 1.18 million current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 37 Mauritius 1.15 million current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 38 Vietnam 1.13 million current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 39 Curacao 1.11 million current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 40 Barbados 1.07 million 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$), annual growth rate 11.24 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise exports (current us$), per square kilometre in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Merchandise exports (current us$), per square kilometre in Sub-Saharan Africa was 17,710 current US$ per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest merchandise exports (current us$), per square kilometre recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 21,443 current US$ per square kilometre in 2011.
- What is the lowest merchandise exports (current us$), per square kilometre recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 291.5 current US$ per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for merchandise exports (current us$), per square kilometre?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 37th out of 45 groups with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise exports (current us$), per square kilometre rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.0%. 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 Merchandise exports (current US$), per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Merchandise exports (current US$) 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.
Merchandise exports (current US$) ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Merchandise exports World Trade Organization (WTO)
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Merchandise exports (current US$) 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.