External balance on goods and services in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income): External balance on goods and services was -0.0% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
External balance on goods and services in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), 1976–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) recorded -0.0% for external balance on goods and services in 2025.
The figure is up 98.1% on the previous year and up 99.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external balance on goods and services in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) peaked at 3.1% in 1987 and was at its lowest, -4.2%, in 2015.
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 20th of 44 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
External balance on goods and services in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | -1.3% | — |
| 1977 | 0.9% | -170.3% |
| 1978 | 0.5% | -47.7% |
| 1979 | 1.6% | +239.7% |
| 1980 | 2.0% | +26.3% |
| 1981 | -2.5% | -227.5% |
| 1982 | -1.6% | -37.4% |
| 1983 | 0.7% | -141.6% |
| 1984 | 0.8% | +17.5% |
| 1985 | 2.6% | +235.1% |
| 1986 | 2.6% | -1.4% |
| 1987 | 3.1% | +19.4% |
| 1988 | 2.0% | -36.5% |
| 1989 | 1.7% | -12.5% |
| 1990 | 2.0% | +17.2% |
| 1991 | 0.4% | -78.9% |
| 1992 | 1.5% | +252.5% |
| 1993 | 2.4% | +62.4% |
| 1994 | 1.5% | -38.7% |
| 1995 | 0.7% | -55.6% |
| 1996 | 1.1% | +59.9% |
| 1997 | 0.4% | -59.3% |
| 1998 | -0.5% | -223.8% |
| 1999 | 0.6% | -204.6% |
| 2000 | 1.7% | +208.7% |
| 2001 | 1.8% | +2.8% |
| 2002 | 1.3% | -26.4% |
| 2003 | 0.6% | -50.3% |
| 2004 | 0.6% | -10.6% |
| 2005 | 1.5% | +165.1% |
| 2006 | 2.1% | +40.3% |
| 2007 | 1.6% | -27.0% |
| 2008 | 1.6% | +0.6% |
| 2009 | -1.7% | -207.3% |
| 2010 | 0.9% | -150.9% |
| 2011 | 1.5% | +72.3% |
| 2012 | -0.5% | -132.0% |
| 2013 | -2.0% | +315.1% |
| 2014 | -2.2% | +12.7% |
| 2015 | -4.2% | +87.8% |
| 2016 | -3.2% | -23.3% |
| 2017 | -1.6% | -49.5% |
| 2018 | -0.9% | -44.0% |
| 2019 | -1.0% | +14.6% |
| 2020 | -0.8% | -19.1% |
| 2021 | 0.6% | -176.1% |
| 2022 | -0.4% | -156.7% |
| 2023 | -1.4% | +297.0% |
| 2024 | -0.6% | -57.5% |
| 2025 | -0.0% | -98.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.4% | -1.3% | 1.6% | 4 |
| 1980s | 1.1% | -2.5% | 3.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.0% | -0.5% | 2.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.1% | -1.7% | 2.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | -1.3% | -4.2% | 1.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | -0.4% | -1.4% | 0.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
More economy & growth data for Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015) 4.36 % change on previous year (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 0.147 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 245.62 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current US$) 7.79 % change on previous year (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current US$) 0.8257 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current US$) 1,380 current US$ per person (2025)
- Final consumption expenditure (current US$), annual growth rate 8.1 % change on previous year (2025)
- Final consumption expenditure (current US$), per capita 1,655 current US$ per person (2025)
- Final consumption expenditure (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.9901 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 3.8 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is external balance on goods and services in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- External balance on goods and services in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) was -0.0% in 2025, according to Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks.
- What is the highest external balance on goods and services recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 3.1% in 1987.
- What is the lowest external balance on goods and services recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was -4.2% in 2015.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) rank for external balance on goods and services?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 20th out of 44 groups with data for 2025.
- Is external balance on goods and services rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 99.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) data come from?
- The figures come from Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks, published as part of External balance on goods and services (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The balance of international trade in goods and services is the difference between the exports and imports of goods and services. 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.