Merchandise imports by the reporting economy, residual in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Merchandise imports by the reporting economy, residual was 0.0% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Merchandise imports by the reporting economy, residual in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1960–2023
Source: Staff estimates, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of total merchandise imports.
Analysis
In 2023, merchandise imports by the reporting economy, residual in Sub-Saharan Africa stood at 0.0%. That is the lowest value across all 64 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 36.4% on the previous year and down 95.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise imports by the reporting economy, residual in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 1.0% in 1980 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 2023.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa 43rd out of 47 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 imports by the reporting economy, residual in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | % of total merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.6% | — |
| 1961 | 0.7% | +24.4% |
| 1962 | 0.9% | +25.5% |
| 1963 | 0.8% | -8.3% |
| 1964 | 0.6% | -22.3% |
| 1965 | 0.4% | -43.1% |
| 1966 | 0.2% | -50.0% |
| 1967 | 0.2% | +38.3% |
| 1968 | 0.1% | -41.9% |
| 1969 | 0.1% | +4.4% |
| 1970 | 0.2% | +39.0% |
| 1971 | 0.1% | -50.9% |
| 1972 | 0.1% | +4.7% |
| 1973 | 0.1% | -8.2% |
| 1974 | 0.1% | +29.7% |
| 1975 | 0.2% | +24.5% |
| 1976 | 0.1% | -38.4% |
| 1977 | 0.1% | +39.7% |
| 1978 | 0.2% | +72.0% |
| 1979 | 0.5% | +119.6% |
| 1980 | 1.0% | +100.8% |
| 1981 | 0.5% | -46.8% |
| 1982 | 0.2% | -57.1% |
| 1983 | 0.2% | -28.1% |
| 1984 | 0.1% | -20.7% |
| 1985 | 0.0% | -66.3% |
| 1986 | 0.0% | -90.3% |
| 1987 | 0.0% | -6.7% |
| 1988 | 0.0% | +5.1% |
| 1989 | 0.0% | +238.6% |
| 1990 | 0.1% | +342.2% |
| 1991 | 0.1% | -5.8% |
| 1992 | 0.1% | -9.6% |
| 1993 | 0.0% | -10.3% |
| 1994 | 0.0% | -37.8% |
| 1995 | 0.1% | +145.8% |
| 1996 | 0.1% | +14.5% |
| 1997 | 0.1% | +6.6% |
| 1998 | 0.3% | +240.1% |
| 1999 | 0.0% | -88.4% |
| 2000 | 0.0% | +9.4% |
| 2001 | 0.0% | +18.9% |
| 2002 | 0.0% | -16.6% |
| 2003 | 0.0% | -55.6% |
| 2004 | 0.1% | +237.4% |
| 2005 | 0.0% | -18.7% |
| 2006 | 0.1% | +127.8% |
| 2007 | 0.1% | +13.8% |
| 2008 | 0.2% | +46.1% |
| 2009 | 0.1% | -60.6% |
| 2010 | 0.0% | -97.5% |
| 2011 | 0.0% | +73.4% |
| 2012 | 0.0% | +1128.8% |
| 2013 | 0.0% | -69.5% |
| 2014 | 0.0% | -66.6% |
| 2015 | 0.0% | +59.8% |
| 2016 | 0.0% | +114.8% |
| 2017 | 0.0% | -21.5% |
| 2018 | 0.0% | +3.4% |
| 2019 | 0.0% | -83.5% |
| 2020 | 0.0% | -24.8% |
| 2021 | 0.0% | -17.5% |
| 2022 | 0.0% | -31.1% |
| 2023 | 0.0% | -36.4% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Merchandise imports by the reporting economy, residual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | +1128.8% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1990 | +342.2% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.5% | 0.1% | 0.9% | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.2% | 0.0% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 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 imports by the reporting economy, residual in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Merchandise imports by the reporting economy, residual in Sub-Saharan Africa was 0.0% in 2023, according to Staff estimates, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest merchandise imports by the reporting economy, residual recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 1.0% in 1980.
- What is the lowest merchandise imports by the reporting economy, residual recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 2023.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for merchandise imports by the reporting economy, residual?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 43rd out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise imports by the reporting economy, residual rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 95.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Staff estimates, World Bank (WB), published as part of Merchandise imports by the reporting economy, residual (% of total merchandise imports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Merchandise imports by the reporting economy residuals are the total merchandise imports by the reporting economy from the rest of the world as reported in the IMF's Direction of trade database, less the sum of imports by the reporting economy from high-, low-, and middle-income economies according to the World Bank classification of economies. Includes trade with unspecified partners or with economies not covered by World Bank classification. Data are as a percentage of total merchandise imports by the economy.