Merchandise exports in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income): Merchandise exports was 486.25 billion current US$ in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
486.25 billion current US$
Change on year
up 11.3%
Rank
31st
of 45 groups
All-time high
486.25 billion current US$
in 2025
All-time low
5.80 billion current US$
in 1960
Years of data
66
1960–2025
Merchandise exports in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), 1960–2025
Source: World Trade Organization (WTO). Measured in current US$.
Analysis
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) recorded 486.25 billion current US$ for merchandise exports in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
The figure is up 11.3% on the previous year and up 62.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise exports in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) peaked at 486.25 billion current US$ in 2025 and was at its lowest, 5.80 billion current US$, in 1960.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) 31st out of 45 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Merchandise exports in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 5.80 billion current US$ | — |
| 1961 | 5.87 billion current US$ | +1.2% |
| 1962 | 6.08 billion current US$ | +3.6% |
| 1963 | 6.81 billion current US$ | +12.1% |
| 1964 | 7.55 billion current US$ | +10.8% |
| 1965 | 7.92 billion current US$ | +4.8% |
| 1966 | 8.47 billion current US$ | +7.0% |
| 1967 | 8.67 billion current US$ | +2.4% |
| 1968 | 9.38 billion current US$ | +8.1% |
| 1969 | 10.59 billion current US$ | +12.9% |
| 1970 | 11.57 billion current US$ | +9.3% |
| 1971 | 12.60 billion current US$ | +8.9% |
| 1972 | 13.96 billion current US$ | +10.8% |
| 1973 | 20.03 billion current US$ | +43.5% |
| 1974 | 32.20 billion current US$ | +60.7% |
| 1975 | 29.80 billion current US$ | -7.5% |
| 1976 | 33.09 billion current US$ | +11.0% |
| 1977 | 39.24 billion current US$ | +18.6% |
| 1978 | 40.04 billion current US$ | +2.0% |
| 1979 | 57.51 billion current US$ | +43.6% |
| 1980 | 78.48 billion current US$ | +36.5% |
| 1981 | 62.23 billion current US$ | -20.7% |
| 1982 | 52.00 billion current US$ | -16.4% |
| 1983 | 50.36 billion current US$ | -3.2% |
| 1984 | 51.70 billion current US$ | +2.7% |
| 1985 | 51.28 billion current US$ | -0.8% |
| 1986 | 45.98 billion current US$ | -10.3% |
| 1987 | 53.45 billion current US$ | +16.2% |
| 1988 | 54.96 billion current US$ | +2.8% |
| 1989 | 61.40 billion current US$ | +11.7% |
| 1990 | 68.93 billion current US$ | +12.3% |
| 1991 | 64.53 billion current US$ | -6.4% |
| 1992 | 65.11 billion current US$ | +0.9% |
| 1993 | 63.56 billion current US$ | -2.4% |
| 1994 | 65.54 billion current US$ | +3.1% |
| 1995 | 77.34 billion current US$ | +18.0% |
| 1996 | 86.89 billion current US$ | +12.4% |
| 1997 | 88.02 billion current US$ | +1.3% |
| 1998 | 73.57 billion current US$ | -16.4% |
| 1999 | 79.84 billion current US$ | +8.5% |
| 2000 | 95.07 billion current US$ | +19.1% |
| 2001 | 90.38 billion current US$ | -4.9% |
| 2002 | 96.37 billion current US$ | +6.6% |
| 2003 | 117.92 billion current US$ | +22.4% |
| 2004 | 159.61 billion current US$ | +35.4% |
| 2005 | 200.28 billion current US$ | +25.5% |
| 2006 | 236.28 billion current US$ | +18.0% |
| 2007 | 282.09 billion current US$ | +19.4% |
| 2008 | 358.06 billion current US$ | +26.9% |
| 2009 | 264.47 billion current US$ | -26.1% |
| 2010 | 358.36 billion current US$ | +35.5% |
| 2011 | 458.21 billion current US$ | +27.9% |
| 2012 | 444.49 billion current US$ | -3.0% |
| 2013 | 418.23 billion current US$ | -5.9% |
| 2014 | 420.94 billion current US$ | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 298.58 billion current US$ | -29.1% |
| 2016 | 265.93 billion current US$ | -10.9% |
| 2017 | 313.23 billion current US$ | +17.8% |
| 2018 | 365.89 billion current US$ | +16.8% |
| 2019 | 340.40 billion current US$ | -7.0% |
| 2020 | 295.68 billion current US$ | -13.1% |
| 2021 | 394.04 billion current US$ | +33.3% |
| 2022 | 442.42 billion current US$ | +12.3% |
| 2023 | 422.78 billion current US$ | -4.4% |
| 2024 | 437.06 billion current US$ | +3.4% |
| 2025 | 486.25 billion current US$ | +11.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 7.71 billion current US$ | 5.80 billion current US$ | 10.59 billion current US$ | 10 |
| 1970s | 29.01 billion current US$ | 11.57 billion current US$ | 57.51 billion current US$ | 10 |
| 1980s | 56.18 billion current US$ | 45.98 billion current US$ | 78.48 billion current US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 73.33 billion current US$ | 63.56 billion current US$ | 88.02 billion current US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 190.05 billion current US$ | 90.38 billion current US$ | 358.06 billion current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 368.43 billion current US$ | 265.93 billion current US$ | 458.21 billion current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 413.04 billion current US$ | 295.68 billion current US$ | 486.25 billion current US$ | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
- 28 Czechia 283.62 billion current US$ compare
- 29 Indonesia 282.91 billion current US$ compare
- 30 Turkey 273.36 billion current US$ compare
- 31 Austria 222.03 billion current US$ compare
- 32 Sweden 208.33 billion current US$ compare
- 33 Norway 170.57 billion current US$ compare
- 34 Hungary 168.84 billion current US$ compare
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)
- Manufactures exports 19.4% (2024)
- 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 merchandise exports in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Merchandise exports in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) was 486.25 billion current US$ in 2025, according to World Trade Organization (WTO).
- What is the highest merchandise exports recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 486.25 billion current US$ in 2025.
- What is the lowest merchandise exports recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.80 billion current US$ in 1960.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) rank for merchandise exports?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 31st out of 45 groups with data for 2025.
- Is merchandise exports rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 62.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) data come from?
- The figures come from World Trade Organization (WTO), published as part of Merchandise exports (current US$). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Merchandise exports includes goods whose economic ownership is changed from a resident to 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. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This indicator is expressed in United States dollars.