Imports of goods and services in Africa Eastern and Southern
Africa Eastern and Southern: Imports of goods and services was 27.8% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Imports of goods and services in Africa Eastern and Southern, 1990–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for imports of goods and services in Africa Eastern and Southern is 27.8%, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 1.8% on the previous year and down 9.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, imports of goods and services in Africa Eastern and Southern peaked at 35.3% in 2008 and was at its lowest, 19.5%, in 1991.
That places Africa Eastern and Southern 28th out of 45 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Imports of goods and services in Africa Eastern and Southern, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 19.6% | — |
| 1991 | 19.5% | -0.9% |
| 1992 | 21.1% | +8.2% |
| 1993 | 21.2% | +0.7% |
| 1994 | 24.0% | +13.4% |
| 1995 | 25.9% | +7.7% |
| 1996 | 26.4% | +2.1% |
| 1997 | 26.1% | -1.4% |
| 1998 | 27.2% | +4.3% |
| 1999 | 25.7% | -5.5% |
| 2000 | 25.8% | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 26.5% | +2.7% |
| 2002 | 27.4% | +3.3% |
| 2003 | 26.0% | -5.1% |
| 2004 | 26.7% | +2.7% |
| 2005 | 27.8% | +4.1% |
| 2006 | 29.0% | +4.4% |
| 2007 | 31.3% | +7.8% |
| 2008 | 35.3% | +12.8% |
| 2009 | 30.7% | -13.1% |
| 2010 | 29.5% | -4.0% |
| 2011 | 31.7% | +7.4% |
| 2012 | 32.6% | +3.0% |
| 2013 | 33.7% | +3.3% |
| 2014 | 33.0% | -2.2% |
| 2015 | 30.7% | -6.9% |
| 2016 | 28.7% | -6.6% |
| 2017 | 27.4% | -4.4% |
| 2018 | 28.4% | +3.6% |
| 2019 | 27.2% | -4.2% |
| 2020 | 24.3% | -10.7% |
| 2021 | 26.3% | +8.2% |
| 2022 | 29.5% | +12.1% |
| 2023 | 29.5% | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 28.3% | -4.1% |
| 2025 | 27.8% | -1.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 23.7% | 19.5% | 27.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 28.7% | 25.8% | 35.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 30.3% | 27.2% | 33.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 27.6% | 24.3% | 29.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Africa Eastern and Southern
More economy & growth data for Africa Eastern and Southern
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 3.39 % change on previous year (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015) 4.06 % change on previous year (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current US$) 1,159 current US$ per person (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current US$) 0.6726 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps -3.88 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current US$) 6.75 % change on previous year (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 226.14 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) 0.1313 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit -0.0029 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 885.91 million BoP, current US$ (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is imports of goods and services in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- Imports of goods and services in Africa Eastern and Southern was 27.8% in 2025, according to Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs).
- What is the highest imports of goods and services recorded in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- The highest recorded value was 35.3% in 2008.
- What is the lowest imports of goods and services recorded in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- The lowest recorded value was 19.5% in 1991.
- How does Africa Eastern and Southern rank for imports of goods and services?
- Africa Eastern and Southern ranks 28th out of 45 groups with data for 2025.
- Is imports of goods and services rising or falling in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Africa Eastern and Southern data come from?
- The figures come from Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs), published as part of Imports of goods and services (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Imports of goods includes change in the economic ownership of goods from non-residents to residents of the compiling economy, irrespective of physical movement of goods across national borders. Imports of services includes services provided by non-residents to residents. 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.