Transport services (% of commercial service exports) in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries): Transport services (% of commercial service exports) was 25.2% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Transport services in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries), 1977–2025
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of commercial service exports.
Analysis
The most recent figure for transport services in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) is 25.2%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.7% on the previous year and down 6.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, transport services in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) peaked at 46.9% in 1980 and was at its lowest, 17.5%, in 2003.
Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 13th of 45 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 49 years of available data.
Transport services (% of commercial service exports) in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries), year by year
| Year | % of commercial service exports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | 37.8% | — |
| 1978 | 43.0% | +14.0% |
| 1979 | 46.8% | +8.7% |
| 1980 | 46.9% | +0.2% |
| 1981 | 39.8% | -15.0% |
| 1982 | 42.0% | +5.3% |
| 1983 | 42.3% | +0.9% |
| 1984 | 41.9% | -1.0% |
| 1985 | 46.4% | +10.8% |
| 1986 | 34.5% | -25.7% |
| 1987 | 29.7% | -13.7% |
| 1988 | 34.5% | +16.0% |
| 1989 | 25.3% | -26.6% |
| 1990 | 27.6% | +8.9% |
| 1991 | 28.9% | +4.7% |
| 1992 | 30.2% | +4.6% |
| 1993 | 29.0% | -4.1% |
| 1994 | 26.3% | -9.4% |
| 1995 | 28.0% | +6.5% |
| 1996 | 24.9% | -11.0% |
| 1997 | 26.3% | +5.7% |
| 1998 | 25.4% | -3.4% |
| 1999 | 23.1% | -9.1% |
| 2000 | 21.2% | -8.3% |
| 2001 | 21.0% | -1.0% |
| 2002 | 19.1% | -8.9% |
| 2003 | 17.5% | -8.6% |
| 2004 | 18.9% | +8.1% |
| 2005 | 31.1% | +64.7% |
| 2006 | 30.0% | -3.7% |
| 2007 | 28.8% | -3.9% |
| 2008 | 26.9% | -6.7% |
| 2009 | 25.8% | -4.1% |
| 2010 | 29.3% | +13.8% |
| 2011 | 27.7% | -5.5% |
| 2012 | 26.8% | -3.5% |
| 2013 | 26.1% | -2.4% |
| 2014 | 24.8% | -5.3% |
| 2015 | 27.0% | +9.0% |
| 2016 | 25.4% | -5.9% |
| 2017 | 19.8% | -22.1% |
| 2018 | 19.3% | -2.5% |
| 2019 | 22.7% | +17.5% |
| 2020 | 28.1% | +23.9% |
| 2021 | 28.9% | +3.0% |
| 2022 | 25.6% | -11.4% |
| 2023 | 27.0% | +5.3% |
| 2024 | 25.9% | -4.2% |
| 2025 | 25.2% | -2.7% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Transport services (% of commercial service exports) in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | +64.7% | 18.9% | 31.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 42.5% | 37.8% | 46.8% | 3 |
| 1980s | 38.3% | 25.3% | 46.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 27.0% | 23.1% | 30.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 24.0% | 17.5% | 31.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 24.9% | 19.3% | 29.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.8% | 25.2% | 28.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
- 10 Iran 49.4% compare
- 11 Solomon Islands 48.8% compare
- 12 Denmark 48.8% compare
- 13 Kazakhstan 45.9% compare
- 14 Democratic Republic of Congo 45.2% compare
- 15 Lithuania 43.8% compare
- 16 Zimbabwe 43.6% compare
More private sector data for Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
- Merchandise trade 44.5% (2025)
- Food imports 12.3% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 56.9% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 501.15 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service imports 147.11 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 14.6% (2025)
- Manufactures exports 19.5% (2025)
- Merchandise exports 486.80 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service exports 88.65 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 368.33 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is transport services in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Transport services in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) was 25.2% in 2025, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest transport services recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The highest recorded value was 46.9% in 1980.
- What is the lowest transport services recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.5% in 2003.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) rank for transport services?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 13th out of 45 groups with data for 2025.
- Is transport services rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) data come from?
- The figures come from Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Transport services (% of commercial service exports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Transport is the process of carriage of people and objects from one location to another as well as related supporting and auxiliary services. Also included are postal and courier services. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of service exports which are commercial services provided by residents to non-residents.