Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in Middle in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in Middle was 0.9% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in Middle in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1960–2023
Source: Staff estimates, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of total merchandise exports.
Analysis
In 2023, merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in middle in Sub-Saharan Africa stood at 0.9%.
That represents a change of down 19.1% on the previous year and up 98.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in middle in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 2.7% in 1960 and was at its lowest, 0.5%, in 2013.
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 42nd 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 low- and middle-income economies in Middle in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | % of total merchandise exports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 2.7% | — |
| 1961 | 2.4% | -10.8% |
| 1962 | 2.5% | +2.0% |
| 1963 | 1.8% | -27.6% |
| 1964 | 1.5% | -17.7% |
| 1965 | 1.4% | -1.4% |
| 1966 | 1.3% | -7.4% |
| 1967 | 1.3% | -0.4% |
| 1968 | 1.0% | -28.2% |
| 1969 | 1.0% | +0.8% |
| 1970 | 1.0% | +2.4% |
| 1971 | 1.0% | +4.6% |
| 1972 | 1.0% | +0.9% |
| 1973 | 1.2% | +11.3% |
| 1974 | 1.0% | -12.8% |
| 1975 | 1.4% | +36.9% |
| 1976 | 0.8% | -40.7% |
| 1977 | 0.9% | +6.1% |
| 1978 | 1.0% | +17.6% |
| 1979 | 0.9% | -10.5% |
| 1980 | 2.2% | +139.4% |
| 1981 | 1.5% | -33.1% |
| 1982 | 1.3% | -13.5% |
| 1983 | 1.1% | -10.6% |
| 1984 | 1.2% | +2.8% |
| 1985 | 1.0% | -18.5% |
| 1986 | 1.2% | +30.2% |
| 1987 | 0.8% | -32.1% |
| 1988 | 0.9% | +10.6% |
| 1989 | 1.1% | +14.9% |
| 1990 | 1.6% | +49.9% |
| 1991 | 1.1% | -30.8% |
| 1992 | 1.1% | -2.4% |
| 1993 | 1.5% | +38.3% |
| 1994 | 1.3% | -12.8% |
| 1995 | 1.3% | -1.4% |
| 1996 | 1.5% | +18.1% |
| 1997 | 1.3% | -11.3% |
| 1998 | 1.3% | -6.2% |
| 1999 | 1.0% | -17.3% |
| 2000 | 0.7% | -32.0% |
| 2001 | 1.0% | +37.3% |
| 2002 | 0.8% | -20.6% |
| 2003 | 0.7% | -12.1% |
| 2004 | 0.6% | -13.3% |
| 2005 | 0.6% | +5.2% |
| 2006 | 0.7% | +11.5% |
| 2007 | 0.7% | -1.7% |
| 2008 | 0.6% | -11.6% |
| 2009 | 0.7% | +22.5% |
| 2010 | 0.6% | -20.4% |
| 2011 | 0.5% | -21.6% |
| 2012 | 0.5% | +10.5% |
| 2013 | 0.5% | -9.8% |
| 2014 | 0.6% | +21.4% |
| 2015 | 0.8% | +35.6% |
| 2016 | 1.0% | +33.6% |
| 2017 | 0.8% | -17.9% |
| 2018 | 0.7% | -14.4% |
| 2019 | 0.9% | +22.5% |
| 2020 | 0.9% | +7.3% |
| 2021 | 1.0% | +3.4% |
| 2022 | 1.1% | +16.7% |
| 2023 | 0.9% | -19.1% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in Middle in Sub-Saharan 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 | +139.4% | 0.9% | 2.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.7% | 1.0% | 2.7% | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.0% | 0.8% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.2% | 0.8% | 2.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.3% | 1.0% | 1.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.7% | 0.6% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.7% | 0.5% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.0% | 0.9% | 1.1% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
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 to low- and middle-income economies in middle in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in middle in Sub-Saharan Africa was 0.9% in 2023, according to Staff estimates, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in middle recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 2.7% in 1960.
- What is the lowest merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in middle recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.5% in 2013.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in middle?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 42nd out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in middle rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 98.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Staff estimates, World Bank (WB), published as part of Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in Middle East & North Africa (% of total merchandise exports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in Middle East and North Africa are the sum of merchandise exports from the reporting economy to low- and middle-income economies in the Middle East and North Africa region according to World Bank classification of economies. Data are 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.