Merchandise imports (current US$), per square kilometre in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income): Merchandise imports (current US$), per square kilometre was 19,836 current US$ per square kilometre in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
19,836 current US$ per square kilometre
Change on year
down 2.4%
Rank
40th
of 45 groups
All-time high
20,317 current US$ per square kilometre
in 2022
All-time low
276.56 current US$ per square kilometre
in 1962
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Merchandise imports (current US$), per square kilometre in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in current US$ per square kilometre.
Analysis
The most recent figure for merchandise imports (current us$), per square kilometre in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) is 19,836 current US$ per square kilometre, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 2.4% on the previous year and up 9.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise imports (current us$), per square kilometre in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) peaked at 20,317 current US$ per square kilometre in 2022 and was at its lowest, 276.56 current US$ per square kilometre, in 1962.
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 40th of 45 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 (current US$), per square kilometre in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | current US$ per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 283.26 current US$ per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 276.56 current US$ per square kilometre | -2.4% |
| 1963 | 300.31 current US$ per square kilometre | +8.6% |
| 1964 | 353.78 current US$ per square kilometre | +17.8% |
| 1965 | 392.67 current US$ per square kilometre | +11.0% |
| 1966 | 385.82 current US$ per square kilometre | -1.7% |
| 1967 | 411.73 current US$ per square kilometre | +6.7% |
| 1968 | 426.05 current US$ per square kilometre | +3.5% |
| 1969 | 467.2 current US$ per square kilometre | +9.7% |
| 1970 | 557.91 current US$ per square kilometre | +19.4% |
| 1971 | 652.23 current US$ per square kilometre | +16.9% |
| 1972 | 640.9 current US$ per square kilometre | -1.7% |
| 1973 | 821.75 current US$ per square kilometre | +28.2% |
| 1974 | 1,180 current US$ per square kilometre | +43.6% |
| 1975 | 1,440 current US$ per square kilometre | +22.0% |
| 1976 | 1,482 current US$ per square kilometre | +2.9% |
| 1977 | 1,726 current US$ per square kilometre | +16.5% |
| 1978 | 2,059 current US$ per square kilometre | +19.3% |
| 1979 | 2,101 current US$ per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1980 | 3,343 current US$ per square kilometre | +59.1% |
| 1981 | 3,688 current US$ per square kilometre | +10.3% |
| 1982 | 3,067 current US$ per square kilometre | -16.8% |
| 1983 | 2,626 current US$ per square kilometre | -14.4% |
| 1984 | 2,395 current US$ per square kilometre | -8.8% |
| 1985 | 2,161 current US$ per square kilometre | -9.8% |
| 1986 | 2,113 current US$ per square kilometre | -2.2% |
| 1987 | 2,379 current US$ per square kilometre | +12.6% |
| 1988 | 2,661 current US$ per square kilometre | +11.9% |
| 1989 | 2,703 current US$ per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 1990 | 2,882 current US$ per square kilometre | +6.6% |
| 1991 | 2,972 current US$ per square kilometre | +3.1% |
| 1992 | 3,109 current US$ per square kilometre | +4.6% |
| 1993 | 2,877 current US$ per square kilometre | -7.5% |
| 1994 | 3,024 current US$ per square kilometre | +5.1% |
| 1995 | 3,709 current US$ per square kilometre | +22.7% |
| 1996 | 3,771 current US$ per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1997 | 4,091 current US$ per square kilometre | +8.5% |
| 1998 | 3,913 current US$ per square kilometre | -4.3% |
| 1999 | 3,764 current US$ per square kilometre | -3.8% |
| 2000 | 3,858 current US$ per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 2001 | 4,057 current US$ per square kilometre | +5.1% |
| 2002 | 4,006 current US$ per square kilometre | -1.3% |
| 2003 | 5,198 current US$ per square kilometre | +29.8% |
| 2004 | 6,600 current US$ per square kilometre | +27.0% |
| 2005 | 8,121 current US$ per square kilometre | +23.0% |
| 2006 | 9,775 current US$ per square kilometre | +20.4% |
| 2007 | 11,900 current US$ per square kilometre | +21.7% |
| 2008 | 14,829 current US$ per square kilometre | +24.6% |
| 2009 | 12,501 current US$ per square kilometre | -15.7% |
| 2010 | 14,724 current US$ per square kilometre | +17.8% |
| 2011 | 18,276 current US$ per square kilometre | +24.1% |
| 2012 | 17,314 current US$ per square kilometre | -5.3% |
| 2013 | 18,143 current US$ per square kilometre | +4.8% |
| 2014 | 18,436 current US$ per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 2015 | 15,933 current US$ per square kilometre | -13.6% |
| 2016 | 13,887 current US$ per square kilometre | -12.8% |
| 2017 | 14,174 current US$ per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 2018 | 15,985 current US$ per square kilometre | +12.8% |
| 2019 | 16,020 current US$ per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 13,351 current US$ per square kilometre | -16.7% |
| 2021 | 16,935 current US$ per square kilometre | +26.8% |
| 2022 | 20,317 current US$ per square kilometre | +20.0% |
| 2023 | 19,836 current US$ per square kilometre | -2.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 366.37 current US$ per square kilometre | 276.56 current US$ per square kilometre | 467.2 current US$ per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 1,266 current US$ per square kilometre | 557.91 current US$ per square kilometre | 2,101 current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 2,714 current US$ per square kilometre | 2,113 current US$ per square kilometre | 3,688 current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 3,411 current US$ per square kilometre | 2,877 current US$ per square kilometre | 4,091 current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 8,084 current US$ per square kilometre | 3,858 current US$ per square kilometre | 14,829 current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 16,289 current US$ per square kilometre | 13,887 current US$ per square kilometre | 18,436 current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 17,610 current US$ per square kilometre | 13,351 current US$ per square kilometre | 20,317 current US$ per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
- 37 Japan 2.16 million current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 38 Kuwait 2.10 million current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 39 Antigua and Barbuda 1.92 million current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 40 Grenada 1.79 million current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 41 Trinidad and Tobago 1.79 million current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 42 Lebanon 1.77 million current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 43 Hungary 1.71 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$), annual growth rate 11.25 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise imports (current us$), per square kilometre in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Merchandise imports (current us$), per square kilometre in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) was 19,836 current US$ per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest merchandise imports (current us$), per square kilometre recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 20,317 current US$ per square kilometre in 2022.
- What is the lowest merchandise imports (current us$), per square kilometre recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 276.56 current US$ per square kilometre in 1962.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) rank for merchandise imports (current us$), per square kilometre?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 40th out of 45 groups with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise imports (current us$), per square kilometre rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.3%. 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 (current US$), per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Merchandise imports (current US$) 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 (current US$) ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Merchandise imports World Trade Organization (WTO)
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Merchandise imports (current US$) 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.