Germany vs South Africa: Value of imported goods as a share of GDP

Germany
31.1%
in 2014
South Africa
31.3%
in 2014
Germany rank
126th
South Africa rank
124th

Value of imported goods as a share of GDP over time

  • Germany
  • South Africa
010203040187119422014

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 31.3% against 31.1% in Germany, a difference of 0.2%.

The two have swapped places 8 times across 96 shared years of data; in 1911 it was South Africa ahead.

Germany ranks 126th and South Africa ranks 124th of 193 countries.

Across the 11 decades both report, Germany averaged higher in 4 and South Africa in 7.

Head to head by decade

Decade Germany South Africa Difference Ahead
1910s 16.4% 24.5% 8.1% South Africa
1920s 9.8% 26.5% 16.7% South Africa
1930s 7.5% 20.8% 13.2% South Africa
1940s 6.8% 22.7% 15.9% South Africa
1950s 12.6% 22.0% 9.4% South Africa
1960s 14.4% 18.0% 3.5% South Africa
1970s 15.5% 17.4% 1.9% South Africa
1980s 19.7% 12.8% 6.8% Germany
1990s 18.9% 14.4% 4.4% Germany
2000s 27.1% 25.5% 1.6% Germany
2010s 31.7% 28.3% 3.4% Germany

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher value of imported goods as a share of gdp, Germany or South Africa?
South Africa, at 31.3% against 31.1% in Germany as of 2014.
What is the difference in value of imported goods as a share of gdp between Germany and South Africa?
0.2%, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Germany and South Africa?
96 years are reported by both, from 1911 to 2014.
How do Germany and South Africa rank globally for value of imported goods as a share of gdp?
Germany ranks 126th and South Africa ranks 124th of 193 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Fouquin and Hugot (2016) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Value of imported goods as a share of GDP. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Germany vs South Africa: Value of imported goods as a share of GDP. Statizoid, drawing on Fouquin and Hugot (2016) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 07 September 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/compare/merchandise-imports-gdp-cepii/germany/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Value of imported goods as a share of GDP
Unit
%
Source
Fouquin and Hugot (2016) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
193 places, 12,772 data points, 1827–2014
Last refreshed

Estimates correspond to merchandise import-to-GDP ratios for countries and regions. All ratios are taken at current prices. See source for more details.