What is the highest merchandise imports (current us$), per unit of gdp recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?

The highest recorded value was 0.2446 current US$ per US$ of GDP in 2008.

What is the lowest merchandise imports (current us$), per unit of gdp recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?

The lowest recorded value was 0.1312 current US$ per US$ of GDP in 1963.

How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for merchandise imports (current us$), per unit of gdp?

Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 21st out of 45 groups with data for 2025.

Is merchandise imports (current us$), per unit of gdp rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?

Over the last ten years it is up 0.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.

Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa data come from?

The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Merchandise imports (current US$), per unit of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Merchandise imports (current US$), per unit of GDP in Sub-Saharan Africa

Name: Merchandise imports (current US$), per unit of GDP in Sub-Saharan Africa
Creator: Statizoid (derived)
License: Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page

Sub-Saharan Africa: Merchandise imports (current US$), per unit of GDP was 0.2266 current US$ per US$ of GDP in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)

0.2266 current US$ per US$ of GDP

Change on year

down 3.1%

Rank

21st

of 45 groups

All-time high

0.2446 current US$ per US$ of GDP

in 2008

All-time low

0.1312 current US$ per US$ of GDP

in 1963

Years of data

1960–2025

Merchandise imports (current US$), per unit of GDP in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1960–2025

Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in current US$ per US$ of GDP.

Analysis

Sub-Saharan Africa recorded 0.2266 current US$ per US$ of GDP for merchandise imports (current us$), per unit of gdp in 2025.

That represents a change of down 3.1% on the previous year and up 0.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, merchandise imports (current us$), per unit of gdp in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 0.2446 current US$ per US$ of GDP in 2008 and was at its lowest, 0.1312 current US$ per US$ of GDP, in 1963.

That places Sub-Saharan Africa 21st out of 45 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.

Merchandise imports (current US$), per unit of GDP in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year

Annual values for Merchandise imports (current US$), per unit of GDP in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1960 to 2025.
Year	current US$ per US$ of GDP	Change
1960	0.1568 current US$ per US$ of GDP	—
1961	0.1521 current US$ per US$ of GDP	-3.0%
1962	0.1374 current US$ per US$ of GDP	-9.7%
1963	0.1312 current US$ per US$ of GDP	-4.5%
1964	0.1553 current US$ per US$ of GDP	+18.4%
1965	0.1565 current US$ per US$ of GDP	+0.8%
1966	0.1419 current US$ per US$ of GDP	-9.3%
1967	0.1513 current US$ per US$ of GDP	+6.6%
1968	0.1463 current US$ per US$ of GDP	-3.3%
1969	0.1421 current US$ per US$ of GDP	-2.9%
1970	0.152 current US$ per US$ of GDP	+6.9%
1971	0.1729 current US$ per US$ of GDP	+13.7%
1972	0.1508 current US$ per US$ of GDP	-12.8%
1973	0.1517 current US$ per US$ of GDP	+0.6%
1974	0.1716 current US$ per US$ of GDP	+13.2%
1975	0.1907 current US$ per US$ of GDP	+11.1%
1976	0.1814 current US$ per US$ of GDP	-4.9%
1977	0.1923 current US$ per US$ of GDP	+6.0%
1978	0.2049 current US$ per US$ of GDP	+6.5%
1979	0.1775 current US$ per US$ of GDP	-13.4%
1980	0.2247 current US$ per US$ of GDP	+26.6%
1981	0.1837 current US$ per US$ of GDP	-18.3%
1982	0.1643 current US$ per US$ of GDP	-10.5%
1983	0.1567 current US$ per US$ of GDP	-4.6%
1984	0.16 current US$ per US$ of GDP	+2.1%
1985	0.1513 current US$ per US$ of GDP	-5.5%
1986	0.1579 current US$ per US$ of GDP	+4.3%
1987	0.1587 current US$ per US$ of GDP	+0.5%
1988	0.1687 current US$ per US$ of GDP	+6.3%
1989	0.1683 current US$ per US$ of GDP	-0.2%
1990	0.1533 current US$ per US$ of GDP	-8.9%
1991	0.1476 current US$ per US$ of GDP	-3.7%
1992	0.1716 current US$ per US$ of GDP	+16.3%
1993	0.1659 current US$ per US$ of GDP	-3.4%
1994	0.1704 current US$ per US$ of GDP	+2.7%
1995	0.1642 current US$ per US$ of GDP	-3.6%
1996	0.1497 current US$ per US$ of GDP	-8.8%
1997	0.1543 current US$ per US$ of GDP	+3.1%
1998	0.1473 current US$ per US$ of GDP	-4.5%
1999	0.1987 current US$ per US$ of GDP	+34.9%
2000	0.1919 current US$ per US$ of GDP	-3.4%
2001	0.2108 current US$ per US$ of GDP	+9.9%
2002	0.1902 current US$ per US$ of GDP	-9.8%
2003	0.1958 current US$ per US$ of GDP	+2.9%
2004	0.2016 current US$ per US$ of GDP	+2.9%
2005	0.2084 current US$ per US$ of GDP	+3.4%
2006	0.2122 current US$ per US$ of GDP	+1.8%
2007	0.223 current US$ per US$ of GDP	+5.1%
2008	0.2446 current US$ per US$ of GDP	+9.7%
2009	0.2159 current US$ per US$ of GDP	-11.7%
2010	0.215 current US$ per US$ of GDP	-0.4%
2011	0.2374 current US$ per US$ of GDP	+10.4%
2012	0.2415 current US$ per US$ of GDP	+1.7%
2013	0.238 current US$ per US$ of GDP	-1.4%
2014	0.2321 current US$ per US$ of GDP	-2.5%
2015	0.2261 current US$ per US$ of GDP	-2.6%
2016	0.2172 current US$ per US$ of GDP	-3.9%
2017	0.2032 current US$ per US$ of GDP	-6.4%
2018	0.213 current US$ per US$ of GDP	+4.8%
2019	0.1877 current US$ per US$ of GDP	-11.9%
2020	0.1683 current US$ per US$ of GDP	-10.4%
2021	0.1897 current US$ per US$ of GDP	+12.7%
2022	0.2126 current US$ per US$ of GDP	+12.1%
2023	0.2246 current US$ per US$ of GDP	+5.6%
2024	0.2338 current US$ per US$ of GDP	+4.1%
2025	0.2266 current US$ per US$ of GDP	-3.1%

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1960s	0.1471 current US$ per US$ of GDP	0.1312 current US$ per US$ of GDP	0.1568 current US$ per US$ of GDP	10
1970s	0.1746 current US$ per US$ of GDP	0.1508 current US$ per US$ of GDP	0.2049 current US$ per US$ of GDP	10
1980s	0.1694 current US$ per US$ of GDP	0.1513 current US$ per US$ of GDP	0.2247 current US$ per US$ of GDP	10
1990s	0.1623 current US$ per US$ of GDP	0.1473 current US$ per US$ of GDP	0.1987 current US$ per US$ of GDP	10
2000s	0.2095 current US$ per US$ of GDP	0.1902 current US$ per US$ of GDP	0.2446 current US$ per US$ of GDP	10
2010s	0.2211 current US$ per US$ of GDP	0.1877 current US$ per US$ of GDP	0.2415 current US$ per US$ of GDP	10
2020s	0.2093 current US$ per US$ of GDP	0.1683 current US$ per US$ of GDP	0.2338 current US$ per US$ of GDP	6

Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa

18 Netherlands 0.6531 current US$ per US$ of GDP compare
19 Czechia 0.6479 current US$ per US$ of GDP compare
20 Hungary 0.6459 current US$ per US$ of GDP compare
21 Seychelles 0.6368 current US$ per US$ of GDP compare
22 Micronesia (country) 0.6178 current US$ per US$ of GDP compare
23 Bhutan 0.6093 current US$ per US$ of GDP compare
24 Thailand 0.5978 current US$ per US$ of GDP compare

See the full ranking of 250 places →

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)

All data for Sub-Saharan Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is merchandise imports (current us$), per unit of gdp in Sub-Saharan Africa?: Merchandise imports (current us$), per unit of gdp in Sub-Saharan Africa was 0.2266 current US$ per US$ of GDP in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
What is the highest merchandise imports (current us$), per unit of gdp recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?: The highest recorded value was 0.2446 current US$ per US$ of GDP in 2008.
What is the lowest merchandise imports (current us$), per unit of gdp recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?: The lowest recorded value was 0.1312 current US$ per US$ of GDP in 1963.
How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for merchandise imports (current us$), per unit of gdp?: Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 21st out of 45 groups with data for 2025.
Is merchandise imports (current us$), per unit of gdp rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?: Over the last ten years it is up 0.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa data come from?: The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Merchandise imports (current US$), per unit of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Merchandise imports (current US$), per unit of GDP in Sub-Saharan Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Statizoid (derived). Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://private-sector.statizoid.com/stat/merchandise-imports-current-us-per-unit-of-gdp/sub-saharan-africa/

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How this figure is calculated

Merchandise imports (current US$) divided by GDP (current US$), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.

Merchandise imports (current US$) ÷ GDP (current US$)

Computed from

Merchandise imports World Trade Organization (WTO)
GDP Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks

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

Indicator: Merchandise imports (current US$), per unit of GDP
Unit: current US$ per US$ of GDP
Source: Statizoid (derived)
Licence: Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page
Coverage: 250 places, 13,931 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed: 18 August 2026

Merchandise imports (current US$) divided by GDP (current US$), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.