Merchandise imports (current US$), per square kilometre in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Merchandise imports (current US$), per square kilometre was 19,897 current US$ per square kilometre in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
19,897 current US$ per square kilometre
Change on year
down 2.3%
Rank
38th
of 45 groups
All-time high
20,373 current US$ per square kilometre
in 2022
All-time low
276.63 current US$ per square kilometre
in 1962
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Merchandise imports (current US$), per square kilometre in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in current US$ per square kilometre.
Analysis
In 2023, merchandise imports (current us$), per square kilometre in Sub-Saharan Africa stood at 19,897 current US$ per square kilometre.
That represents a change of down 2.3% on the previous year and up 9.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise imports (current us$), per square kilometre in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 20,373 current US$ per square kilometre in 2022 and was at its lowest, 276.63 current US$ per square kilometre, in 1962.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa 38th out of 45 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 (current US$), per square kilometre in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | current US$ per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 283.33 current US$ per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 276.63 current US$ per square kilometre | -2.4% |
| 1963 | 300.38 current US$ per square kilometre | +8.6% |
| 1964 | 353.84 current US$ per square kilometre | +17.8% |
| 1965 | 392.73 current US$ per square kilometre | +11.0% |
| 1966 | 385.98 current US$ per square kilometre | -1.7% |
| 1967 | 411.94 current US$ per square kilometre | +6.7% |
| 1968 | 426.31 current US$ per square kilometre | +3.5% |
| 1969 | 467.51 current US$ per square kilometre | +9.7% |
| 1970 | 558.37 current US$ per square kilometre | +19.4% |
| 1971 | 652.93 current US$ per square kilometre | +16.9% |
| 1972 | 641.91 current US$ per square kilometre | -1.7% |
| 1973 | 822.95 current US$ per square kilometre | +28.2% |
| 1974 | 1,182 current US$ per square kilometre | +43.6% |
| 1975 | 1,441 current US$ per square kilometre | +22.0% |
| 1976 | 1,483 current US$ per square kilometre | +2.9% |
| 1977 | 1,728 current US$ per square kilometre | +16.5% |
| 1978 | 2,061 current US$ per square kilometre | +19.3% |
| 1979 | 2,105 current US$ per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1980 | 3,348 current US$ per square kilometre | +59.0% |
| 1981 | 3,693 current US$ per square kilometre | +10.3% |
| 1982 | 3,072 current US$ per square kilometre | -16.8% |
| 1983 | 2,630 current US$ per square kilometre | -14.4% |
| 1984 | 2,399 current US$ per square kilometre | -8.8% |
| 1985 | 2,166 current US$ per square kilometre | -9.7% |
| 1986 | 2,118 current US$ per square kilometre | -2.2% |
| 1987 | 2,385 current US$ per square kilometre | +12.6% |
| 1988 | 2,669 current US$ per square kilometre | +11.9% |
| 1989 | 2,711 current US$ per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 1990 | 2,891 current US$ per square kilometre | +6.6% |
| 1991 | 2,981 current US$ per square kilometre | +3.1% |
| 1992 | 3,118 current US$ per square kilometre | +4.6% |
| 1993 | 2,888 current US$ per square kilometre | -7.4% |
| 1994 | 3,033 current US$ per square kilometre | +5.0% |
| 1995 | 3,720 current US$ per square kilometre | +22.6% |
| 1996 | 3,789 current US$ per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1997 | 4,107 current US$ per square kilometre | +8.4% |
| 1998 | 3,931 current US$ per square kilometre | -4.3% |
| 1999 | 3,785 current US$ per square kilometre | -3.7% |
| 2000 | 3,874 current US$ per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 2001 | 4,079 current US$ per square kilometre | +5.3% |
| 2002 | 4,025 current US$ per square kilometre | -1.3% |
| 2003 | 5,217 current US$ per square kilometre | +29.6% |
| 2004 | 6,623 current US$ per square kilometre | +27.0% |
| 2005 | 8,153 current US$ per square kilometre | +23.1% |
| 2006 | 9,810 current US$ per square kilometre | +20.3% |
| 2007 | 11,940 current US$ per square kilometre | +21.7% |
| 2008 | 14,879 current US$ per square kilometre | +24.6% |
| 2009 | 12,538 current US$ per square kilometre | -15.7% |
| 2010 | 14,770 current US$ per square kilometre | +17.8% |
| 2011 | 18,325 current US$ per square kilometre | +24.1% |
| 2012 | 17,358 current US$ per square kilometre | -5.3% |
| 2013 | 18,188 current US$ per square kilometre | +4.8% |
| 2014 | 18,483 current US$ per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 2015 | 15,974 current US$ per square kilometre | -13.6% |
| 2016 | 13,930 current US$ per square kilometre | -12.8% |
| 2017 | 14,228 current US$ per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 2018 | 16,038 current US$ per square kilometre | +12.7% |
| 2019 | 16,069 current US$ per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 13,392 current US$ per square kilometre | -16.7% |
| 2021 | 16,982 current US$ per square kilometre | +26.8% |
| 2022 | 20,373 current US$ per square kilometre | +20.0% |
| 2023 | 19,897 current US$ per square kilometre | -2.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 366.52 current US$ per square kilometre | 276.63 current US$ per square kilometre | 467.51 current US$ per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 1,268 current US$ per square kilometre | 558.37 current US$ per square kilometre | 2,105 current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 2,719 current US$ per square kilometre | 2,118 current US$ per square kilometre | 3,693 current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 3,424 current US$ per square kilometre | 2,888 current US$ per square kilometre | 4,107 current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 8,114 current US$ per square kilometre | 3,874 current US$ per square kilometre | 14,879 current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 16,336 current US$ per square kilometre | 13,930 current US$ per square kilometre | 18,483 current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 17,661 current US$ per square kilometre | 13,392 current US$ per square kilometre | 20,373 current US$ per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
- 35 Ireland 2.19 million current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 36 Italy 2.16 million current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 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
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$), annual growth rate 11.24 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise imports (current us$), per square kilometre in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Merchandise imports (current us$), per square kilometre in Sub-Saharan Africa was 19,897 current US$ per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest merchandise imports (current us$), per square kilometre recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 20,373 current US$ per square kilometre in 2022.
- What is the lowest merchandise imports (current us$), per square kilometre recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 276.63 current US$ per square kilometre in 1962.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for merchandise imports (current us$), per square kilometre?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 38th out of 45 groups with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise imports (current us$), per square kilometre rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa 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.