Merchandise exports to high-income economies in Africa Western and Central
Africa Western and Central: Merchandise exports to high-income economies was 54.1% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Merchandise exports to high-income economies in Africa Western and Central, 1960–2023
Source: Staff estimates, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of total merchandise exports.
Analysis
In 2023, merchandise exports to high-income economies in Africa Western and Central stood at 54.1%.
The figure is up 11.8% on the previous year and up 8.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise exports to high-income economies in Africa Western and Central peaked at 95.0% in 1960 and was at its lowest, 43.7%, in 2018.
Africa Western and Central ranks 38th of 47 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 64 years of available data.
Merchandise exports to high-income economies in Africa Western and Central, year by year
| Year | % of total merchandise exports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 95.0% | — |
| 1961 | 95.0% | -0.1% |
| 1962 | 92.7% | -2.3% |
| 1963 | 93.6% | +0.9% |
| 1964 | 92.7% | -0.9% |
| 1965 | 92.5% | -0.3% |
| 1966 | 92.9% | +0.5% |
| 1967 | 93.5% | +0.6% |
| 1968 | 92.9% | -0.6% |
| 1969 | 93.5% | +0.6% |
| 1970 | 93.9% | +0.5% |
| 1971 | 92.6% | -1.4% |
| 1972 | 92.9% | +0.3% |
| 1973 | 93.0% | +0.1% |
| 1974 | 95.0% | +2.2% |
| 1975 | 93.1% | -2.1% |
| 1976 | 94.1% | +1.1% |
| 1977 | 92.7% | -1.5% |
| 1978 | 92.4% | -0.3% |
| 1979 | 93.6% | +1.3% |
| 1980 | 85.0% | -9.2% |
| 1981 | 89.4% | +5.2% |
| 1982 | 90.9% | +1.7% |
| 1983 | 91.9% | +1.1% |
| 1984 | 91.8% | -0.0% |
| 1985 | 90.0% | -2.0% |
| 1986 | 89.0% | -1.1% |
| 1987 | 89.4% | +0.4% |
| 1988 | 87.7% | -1.9% |
| 1989 | 87.3% | -0.5% |
| 1990 | 87.4% | +0.2% |
| 1991 | 84.5% | -3.4% |
| 1992 | 84.4% | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 82.4% | -2.4% |
| 1994 | 82.2% | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 79.8% | -3.0% |
| 1996 | 79.8% | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 78.6% | -1.4% |
| 1998 | 75.9% | -3.5% |
| 1999 | 69.7% | -8.2% |
| 2000 | 71.8% | +3.0% |
| 2001 | 71.2% | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 68.2% | -4.2% |
| 2003 | 57.2% | -16.1% |
| 2004 | 53.9% | -5.8% |
| 2005 | 53.6% | -0.7% |
| 2006 | 51.7% | -3.5% |
| 2007 | 52.0% | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 53.1% | +2.2% |
| 2009 | 53.4% | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 53.6% | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 52.1% | -2.7% |
| 2012 | 51.7% | -0.9% |
| 2013 | 49.9% | -3.4% |
| 2014 | 49.4% | -1.0% |
| 2015 | 48.9% | -0.9% |
| 2016 | 49.5% | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 45.6% | -7.8% |
| 2018 | 43.7% | -4.3% |
| 2019 | 43.9% | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 47.8% | +8.9% |
| 2021 | 48.6% | +1.5% |
| 2022 | 48.4% | -0.3% |
| 2023 | 54.1% | +11.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 93.4% | 92.5% | 95.0% | 10 |
| 1970s | 93.3% | 92.4% | 95.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 89.2% | 85.0% | 91.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 80.5% | 69.7% | 87.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 58.6% | 51.7% | 71.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 48.8% | 43.7% | 53.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 49.7% | 47.8% | 54.1% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Africa Western and Central
More private sector data for Africa Western and Central
- Merchandise trade 43.1% (2025)
- Food imports 15.3% (2023)
- Manufactures imports 54.3% (2023)
- Merchandise imports 163.34 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 12.1% (2023)
- Manufactures exports 7.0% (2023)
- Merchandise exports 204.10 billion current US$ (2025)
- 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)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 20.81 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise exports to high-income economies in Africa Western and Central?
- Merchandise exports to high-income economies in Africa Western and Central was 54.1% in 2023, according to Staff estimates, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest merchandise exports to high-income economies recorded in Africa Western and Central?
- The highest recorded value was 95.0% in 1960.
- What is the lowest merchandise exports to high-income economies recorded in Africa Western and Central?
- The lowest recorded value was 43.7% in 2018.
- How does Africa Western and Central rank for merchandise exports to high-income economies?
- Africa Western and Central ranks 38th out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise exports to high-income economies rising or falling in Africa Western and Central?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Africa Western and Central data come from?
- The figures come from Staff estimates, World Bank (WB), published as part of Merchandise exports to high-income economies (% of total merchandise exports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Merchandise exports to high-income economies are the sum of merchandise exports from the reporting economy to high-income economies according to the World Bank classification of economies. Data are expressed as a percentage of total merchandise exports by the economy. Data are computed only if at least half of the economies in the partner country group had non-missing data.