Merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$), per in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income): Merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$), per was 19,512 current US$ per square kilometre in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$), per in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in current US$ per square kilometre.
Analysis
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) recorded 19,512 current US$ per square kilometre for merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current us$), per in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.5% on the previous year and up 9.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current us$), per in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) peaked at 19,512 current US$ per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 125.59 current US$ per square kilometre, in 1961.
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 40th of 44 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$), per in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | current US$ per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 125.59 current US$ per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 131.96 current US$ per square kilometre | +5.1% |
| 1963 | 152.6 current US$ per square kilometre | +15.6% |
| 1964 | 194.06 current US$ per square kilometre | +27.2% |
| 1965 | 214.58 current US$ per square kilometre | +10.6% |
| 1966 | 217.17 current US$ per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1967 | 216.3 current US$ per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 1968 | 232.69 current US$ per square kilometre | +7.6% |
| 1969 | 257.1 current US$ per square kilometre | +10.5% |
| 1970 | 306.97 current US$ per square kilometre | +19.4% |
| 1971 | 342.1 current US$ per square kilometre | +11.4% |
| 1972 | 375.62 current US$ per square kilometre | +9.8% |
| 1973 | 463.76 current US$ per square kilometre | +23.5% |
| 1974 | 655.94 current US$ per square kilometre | +41.4% |
| 1975 | 838.67 current US$ per square kilometre | +27.9% |
| 1976 | 907.05 current US$ per square kilometre | +8.2% |
| 1977 | 1,165 current US$ per square kilometre | +28.5% |
| 1978 | 1,300 current US$ per square kilometre | +11.6% |
| 1979 | 1,239 current US$ per square kilometre | -4.7% |
| 1980 | 983.35 current US$ per square kilometre | -20.6% |
| 1981 | 2,010 current US$ per square kilometre | +104.4% |
| 1982 | 1,628 current US$ per square kilometre | -19.0% |
| 1983 | 1,360 current US$ per square kilometre | -16.5% |
| 1984 | 1,115 current US$ per square kilometre | -18.0% |
| 1985 | 1,189 current US$ per square kilometre | +6.6% |
| 1986 | 1,105 current US$ per square kilometre | -7.0% |
| 1987 | 1,253 current US$ per square kilometre | +13.3% |
| 1988 | 1,288 current US$ per square kilometre | +2.8% |
| 1989 | 1,374 current US$ per square kilometre | +6.7% |
| 1990 | 1,732 current US$ per square kilometre | +26.1% |
| 1991 | 1,708 current US$ per square kilometre | -1.4% |
| 1992 | 2,149 current US$ per square kilometre | +25.8% |
| 1993 | 1,795 current US$ per square kilometre | -16.5% |
| 1994 | 1,762 current US$ per square kilometre | -1.8% |
| 1995 | 2,057 current US$ per square kilometre | +16.7% |
| 1996 | 2,120 current US$ per square kilometre | +3.1% |
| 1997 | 2,178 current US$ per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 1998 | 3,722 current US$ per square kilometre | +70.9% |
| 1999 | 3,428 current US$ per square kilometre | -7.9% |
| 2000 | 3,579 current US$ per square kilometre | +4.4% |
| 2001 | 3,675 current US$ per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 2002 | 3,861 current US$ per square kilometre | +5.0% |
| 2003 | 5,337 current US$ per square kilometre | +38.2% |
| 2004 | 6,511 current US$ per square kilometre | +22.0% |
| 2005 | 8,124 current US$ per square kilometre | +24.8% |
| 2006 | 9,759 current US$ per square kilometre | +20.1% |
| 2007 | 11,840 current US$ per square kilometre | +21.3% |
| 2008 | 15,091 current US$ per square kilometre | +27.5% |
| 2009 | 12,802 current US$ per square kilometre | -15.2% |
| 2010 | 14,462 current US$ per square kilometre | +13.0% |
| 2011 | 18,039 current US$ per square kilometre | +24.7% |
| 2012 | 16,850 current US$ per square kilometre | -6.6% |
| 2013 | 17,866 current US$ per square kilometre | +6.0% |
| 2014 | 18,237 current US$ per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 2015 | 15,619 current US$ per square kilometre | -14.4% |
| 2016 | 13,356 current US$ per square kilometre | -14.5% |
| 2017 | 14,434 current US$ per square kilometre | +8.1% |
| 2018 | 15,553 current US$ per square kilometre | +7.8% |
| 2019 | 15,395 current US$ per square kilometre | -1.0% |
| 2020 | 13,769 current US$ per square kilometre | -10.6% |
| 2021 | 16,095 current US$ per square kilometre | +16.9% |
| 2022 | 19,215 current US$ per square kilometre | +19.4% |
| 2023 | 19,512 current US$ per square kilometre | +1.5% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$), per in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | +104.4% | 983.35 current US$ per square kilometre | 2,010 current US$ per square kilometre |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 193.56 current US$ per square kilometre | 125.59 current US$ per square kilometre | 257.1 current US$ per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 759.45 current US$ per square kilometre | 306.97 current US$ per square kilometre | 1,300 current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 1,330 current US$ per square kilometre | 983.35 current US$ per square kilometre | 2,010 current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 2,265 current US$ per square kilometre | 1,708 current US$ per square kilometre | 3,722 current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 8,058 current US$ per square kilometre | 3,579 current US$ per square kilometre | 15,091 current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 15,981 current US$ per square kilometre | 13,356 current US$ per square kilometre | 18,237 current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 17,148 current US$ per square kilometre | 13,769 current US$ per square kilometre | 19,512 current US$ per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
- 37 Japan 2.15 million current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 38 Italy 2.15 million current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 39 Kuwait 2.10 million current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 40 Lebanon 1.76 million current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 41 Trinidad and Tobago 1.74 million current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 42 Hungary 1.69 million current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 43 Grenada 1.59 million current US$ per square kilometre 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 486.25 billion current US$ (2025)
- 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$), annual growth rate 11.25 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current us$), per in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current us$), per in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) was 19,512 current US$ per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current us$), per recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 19,512 current US$ per square kilometre in 2023.
- What is the lowest merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current us$), per recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 125.59 current US$ per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) rank for merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current us$), per?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 40th out of 44 groups with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current us$), per rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.2%. 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 Statizoid (derived), published as part of Merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$), per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$) 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 imports by the reporting economy (current US$) ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Merchandise imports by the reporting economy Staff estimates, World Bank (WB)
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$) 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.