Merchandise trade in Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Congo, Democratic Republic of the: Merchandise trade was 66.1% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Merchandise trade in Congo, Democratic Republic of the, 1960–2025
Source: World Trade Organization (WTO). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for merchandise trade in Congo, Democratic Republic of the is 66.1%, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 11.4% on the previous year and up 58.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise trade in Congo, Democratic Republic of the peaked at 76.3% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 7.3%, in 1978.
That places Congo, Democratic Republic of the 73rd out of 204 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Merchandise trade in Congo, Democratic Republic of the, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 21.3% | — |
| 1961 | 16.2% | -23.9% |
| 1962 | 11.3% | -30.3% |
| 1963 | 9.5% | -15.9% |
| 1964 | 14.1% | +48.0% |
| 1965 | 10.0% | -29.1% |
| 1966 | 11.6% | +16.9% |
| 1967 | 15.5% | +32.9% |
| 1968 | 17.2% | +11.2% |
| 1969 | 16.1% | -6.3% |
| 1970 | 19.7% | +22.0% |
| 1971 | 15.9% | -19.2% |
| 1972 | 15.3% | -3.7% |
| 1973 | 16.1% | +4.8% |
| 1974 | 18.0% | +12.2% |
| 1975 | 11.4% | -36.9% |
| 1976 | 12.1% | +6.4% |
| 1977 | 9.7% | -20.2% |
| 1978 | 7.3% | -24.1% |
| 1979 | 11.4% | +55.1% |
| 1980 | 26.3% | +131.5% |
| 1981 | 24.7% | -6.1% |
| 1982 | 21.2% | -14.1% |
| 1983 | 26.3% | +24.1% |
| 1984 | 39.5% | +50.0% |
| 1985 | 43.1% | +9.1% |
| 1986 | 38.6% | -10.3% |
| 1987 | 46.8% | +21.2% |
| 1988 | 45.9% | -1.9% |
| 1989 | 48.1% | +4.8% |
| 1990 | 43.5% | -9.7% |
| 1991 | 30.7% | -29.4% |
| 1992 | 26.5% | -13.6% |
| 1993 | 16.4% | -38.1% |
| 1994 | 33.0% | +101.2% |
| 1995 | 43.1% | +30.5% |
| 1996 | 45.7% | +5.9% |
| 1997 | 36.4% | -20.2% |
| 1998 | 40.6% | +11.4% |
| 1999 | 29.2% | -28.0% |
| 2000 | 7.8% | -73.3% |
| 2001 | 22.5% | +187.6% |
| 2002 | 25.4% | +12.9% |
| 2003 | 32.1% | +26.8% |
| 2004 | 38.5% | +19.9% |
| 2005 | 40.4% | +4.8% |
| 2006 | 36.1% | -10.5% |
| 2007 | 35.4% | -2.1% |
| 2008 | 38.3% | +8.2% |
| 2009 | 39.8% | +3.9% |
| 2010 | 40.6% | +2.0% |
| 2011 | 45.8% | +13.0% |
| 2012 | 41.3% | -9.9% |
| 2013 | 35.8% | -13.2% |
| 2014 | 39.1% | +9.2% |
| 2015 | 41.7% | +6.6% |
| 2016 | 32.9% | -21.2% |
| 2017 | 48.2% | +46.7% |
| 2018 | 59.9% | +24.2% |
| 2019 | 47.4% | -20.8% |
| 2020 | 45.3% | -4.4% |
| 2021 | 48.5% | +6.9% |
| 2022 | 38.5% | -20.7% |
| 2023 | 76.3% | +98.3% |
| 2024 | 74.6% | -2.1% |
| 2025 | 66.1% | -11.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 14.3% | 9.5% | 21.3% | 10 |
| 1970s | 13.7% | 7.3% | 19.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 36.1% | 21.2% | 48.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 34.5% | 16.4% | 45.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 31.6% | 7.8% | 40.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 43.3% | 32.9% | 59.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 58.2% | 38.5% | 76.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Congo, Democratic Republic of the
- 70 Georgia 67.7% compare
- 71 Burkina Faso 67.5% compare
- 72 El Salvador 66.1% compare
- 74 Germany 65.5% compare
- 75 Azerbaijan 65.1% compare
- 76 Greenland 63.2% compare
More private sector data for Congo, Democratic Republic of the
- Food imports 4.8% (2023)
- Manufactures imports 50.2% (2023)
- Merchandise imports 28.10 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 0.6% (2023)
- Manufactures exports 17.9% (2023)
- Merchandise exports 32.10 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 284.49 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.3526 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 7.36 % change on previous year (2025)
- Merchandise imports (current US$), per capita 249.04 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise trade in Congo, Democratic Republic of the?
- Merchandise trade in Congo, Democratic Republic of the was 66.1% in 2025, according to World Trade Organization (WTO).
- What is the highest merchandise trade recorded in Congo, Democratic Republic of the?
- The highest recorded value was 76.3% in 2023.
- What is the lowest merchandise trade recorded in Congo, Democratic Republic of the?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.3% in 1978.
- How does Congo, Democratic Republic of the rank for merchandise trade?
- Congo, Democratic Republic of the ranks 73rd out of 204 countries with data for 2025.
- Is merchandise trade rising or falling in Congo, Democratic Republic of the?
- Over the last ten years it is up 58.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Congo, Democratic Republic of the data come from?
- The figures come from World Trade Organization (WTO), published as part of Merchandise trade (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
General merchandise trade includes goods whose economic ownership is changed between a resident and a non-resident and that are not included in the following specific categories: goods under merchanting, non-monetary gold, and parts of travel, construction, and government goods and services n.i.e. It is the total of merchandise exports plus merchandise imports. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.