Transport services in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Transport services was 26.2% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Transport services in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1977–2024
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of commercial service exports.
Analysis
Sub-Saharan Africa recorded 26.2% for transport services in 2024.
The figure is down 4.2% on the previous year and up 5.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, transport services in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 46.9% in 1980 and was at its lowest, 17.5%, in 2003.
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 12th of 45 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 48 years of available data.
Transport services in Sub-Saharan Africa, 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 | 27.3% | +6.5% |
| 2024 | 26.2% | -4.2% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Transport services in Sub-Saharan Africa 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 | 27.2% | 25.6% | 28.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
- 9 Nigeria 51.0% compare
- 10 Iran, Islamic Republic of 49.4% compare
- 11 Solomon Islands 48.8% compare
- 12 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 47.3% compare
- 13 Kazakhstan 45.9% compare
- 14 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 45.2% compare
- 15 Lithuania 43.8% 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 transport services in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Transport services in Sub-Saharan Africa was 26.2% in 2024, 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?
- The highest recorded value was 46.9% in 1980.
- What is the lowest transport services recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.5% in 2003.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for transport services?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 12th out of 45 groups with data for 2024.
- Is transport services rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa 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.