Merchandise imports from high-income economies in Africa Western and Central
Africa Western and Central: Merchandise imports from high-income economies was 53.5% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Merchandise imports from high-income economies in Africa Western and Central, 1960–2023
Source: Staff estimates, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of total merchandise imports.
Analysis
In 2023, merchandise imports from high-income economies in Africa Western and Central stood at 53.5%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.4% on the previous year and down 3.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise imports from high-income economies in Africa Western and Central peaked at 92.4% in 1960 and was at its lowest, 49.9%, in 2021.
Africa Western and Central ranks 34th of 47 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 64 years of available data.
Merchandise imports from high-income economies in Africa Western and Central, year by year
| Year | % of total merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 92.4% | — |
| 1961 | 91.9% | -0.5% |
| 1962 | 90.3% | -1.7% |
| 1963 | 88.5% | -2.0% |
| 1964 | 88.6% | +0.2% |
| 1965 | 88.5% | -0.2% |
| 1966 | 89.2% | +0.8% |
| 1967 | 87.6% | -1.7% |
| 1968 | 87.2% | -0.5% |
| 1969 | 87.8% | +0.7% |
| 1970 | 89.3% | +1.7% |
| 1971 | 89.9% | +0.6% |
| 1972 | 89.0% | -1.0% |
| 1973 | 87.2% | -2.1% |
| 1974 | 84.7% | -2.9% |
| 1975 | 88.9% | +5.0% |
| 1976 | 90.6% | +1.9% |
| 1977 | 90.5% | -0.1% |
| 1978 | 90.4% | -0.1% |
| 1979 | 87.8% | -2.9% |
| 1980 | 77.4% | -11.8% |
| 1981 | 86.5% | +11.7% |
| 1982 | 85.5% | -1.2% |
| 1983 | 86.5% | +1.2% |
| 1984 | 83.6% | -3.3% |
| 1985 | 82.1% | -1.8% |
| 1986 | 83.4% | +1.5% |
| 1987 | 83.9% | +0.6% |
| 1988 | 82.4% | -1.8% |
| 1989 | 80.0% | -2.8% |
| 1990 | 80.9% | +1.0% |
| 1991 | 82.8% | +2.4% |
| 1992 | 81.7% | -1.3% |
| 1993 | 80.8% | -1.1% |
| 1994 | 80.5% | -0.4% |
| 1995 | 78.1% | -2.9% |
| 1996 | 76.3% | -2.4% |
| 1997 | 75.1% | -1.5% |
| 1998 | 75.7% | +0.7% |
| 1999 | 72.9% | -3.6% |
| 2000 | 66.4% | -9.0% |
| 2001 | 66.8% | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 68.3% | +2.3% |
| 2003 | 60.6% | -11.2% |
| 2004 | 58.7% | -3.2% |
| 2005 | 56.7% | -3.4% |
| 2006 | 56.0% | -1.1% |
| 2007 | 56.1% | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 55.9% | -0.4% |
| 2009 | 56.7% | +1.4% |
| 2010 | 55.7% | -1.7% |
| 2011 | 54.5% | -2.2% |
| 2012 | 54.3% | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 55.1% | +1.6% |
| 2014 | 56.2% | +1.9% |
| 2015 | 56.1% | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 56.0% | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 55.9% | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 53.4% | -4.5% |
| 2019 | 53.9% | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 50.3% | -6.8% |
| 2021 | 49.9% | -0.6% |
| 2022 | 52.7% | +5.6% |
| 2023 | 53.5% | +1.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 89.2% | 87.2% | 92.4% | 10 |
| 1970s | 88.8% | 84.7% | 90.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 83.1% | 77.4% | 86.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 78.5% | 72.9% | 82.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 60.2% | 55.9% | 68.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 55.1% | 53.4% | 56.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 51.6% | 49.9% | 53.5% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Africa Western and Central
More private sector data for Africa Western and Central
- Merchandise trade 43.1% (2025)
- Food imports 15.3% (2023)
- Manufactures imports 54.3% (2023)
- Merchandise imports 163.34 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 12.1% (2023)
- Manufactures exports 7.0% (2023)
- Merchandise exports 204.10 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 383.07 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.2394 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 20.81 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise imports from high-income economies in Africa Western and Central?
- Merchandise imports from high-income economies in Africa Western and Central was 53.5% in 2023, according to Staff estimates, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest merchandise imports from high-income economies recorded in Africa Western and Central?
- The highest recorded value was 92.4% in 1960.
- What is the lowest merchandise imports from high-income economies recorded in Africa Western and Central?
- The lowest recorded value was 49.9% in 2021.
- How does Africa Western and Central rank for merchandise imports from high-income economies?
- Africa Western and Central ranks 34th out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise imports from high-income economies rising or falling in Africa Western and Central?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Africa Western and Central data come from?
- The figures come from Staff estimates, World Bank (WB), published as part of Merchandise imports from high-income economies (% of total merchandise imports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Merchandise imports from high-income economies are the sum of merchandise imports by the reporting economy from high-income economies according to the World Bank classification of economies. Data are expressed as a percentage of total merchandise imports by the economy. Data are computed only if at least half of the economies in the partner country group had non-missing data.