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

Kenya
31.3%
in 2014
South Africa
31.3%
in 2014
Kenya rank
123rd
South Africa rank
124th

Value of imported goods as a share of GDP over time

  • Kenya
  • South Africa
10203040191119622014

How they compare

Kenya currently reports 31.3% against 31.3% in South Africa, a difference of 0.0%.

The two have swapped places 4 times across 60 shared years of data; in 1955 it was Kenya ahead.

Kenya ranks 123rd and South Africa ranks 124th of 193 countries.

Kenya has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Kenya South Africa Difference Ahead
1950s 39.7% 20.6% 19.0% Kenya
1960s 30.2% 18.0% 12.3% Kenya
1970s 28.9% 17.4% 11.5% Kenya
1980s 25.8% 12.8% 13.0% Kenya
1990s 27.0% 14.4% 12.6% Kenya
2000s 28.5% 25.5% 3.0% Kenya
2010s 31.3% 28.3% 3.0% Kenya

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher value of imported goods as a share of gdp, Kenya or South Africa?
Kenya, at 31.3% against 31.3% in South Africa as of 2014.
What is the difference in value of imported goods as a share of gdp between Kenya and South Africa?
0.0%, with Kenya ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Kenya and South Africa?
60 years are reported by both, from 1955 to 2014.
How do Kenya and South Africa rank globally for value of imported goods as a share of gdp?
Kenya ranks 123rd 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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Kenya 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 09 September 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/compare/merchandise-imports-gdp-cepii/kenya/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.