Merchandise trade to GDP ratio in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa: Merchandise trade to GDP ratio was 80.1% in 2011. ▲ Rising

Latest (2011)
80.1%
Change on year
up 9.8%
Rank
2nd
of 6 groups
All-time high
80.5%
in 2008
All-time low
35.6%
in 1962
Years of data
52
1960–2011

Merchandise trade to GDP ratio in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa, 1960–2011

020406080196019852011

Source: World Bank country economists. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for merchandise trade to gdp ratio in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa is 80.1%, measured in 2011.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 9.8% on the previous year and up 17.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, merchandise trade to gdp ratio in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa peaked at 80.5% in 2008 and was at its lowest, 35.6%, in 1962.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 52 years of available data.

Merchandise trade to GDP ratio in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Merchandise trade to GDP ratio (%) in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa, 1960 to 2011.
Year % Change
1960 41.4%
1961 38.4% -7.2%
1962 35.6% -7.3%
1963 48.3% +35.5%
1964 46.8% -3.1%
1965 45.3% -3.3%
1966 48.3% +6.8%
1967 44.2% -8.5%
1968 44.6% +0.9%
1969 43.9% -1.6%
1970 40.6% -7.6%
1971 42.7% +5.2%
1972 40.6% -4.9%
1973 43.9% +8.1%
1974 51.5% +17.2%
1975 49.0% -4.9%
1976 49.5% +1.2%
1977 51.3% +3.6%
1978 48.5% -5.5%
1979 50.2% +3.5%
1980 55.7% +11.0%
1981 54.7% -1.8%
1982 49.1% -10.3%
1983 47.3% -3.6%
1984 49.2% +3.9%
1985 47.4% -3.6%
1986 46.8% -1.2%
1987 48.9% +4.5%
1988 47.2% -3.4%
1989 50.9% +7.8%
1990 55.1% +8.1%
1991 53.8% -2.2%
1992 62.3% +15.7%
1993 60.4% -2.9%
1994 68.0% +12.5%
1995 70.2% +3.3%
1996 68.5% -2.5%
1997 66.5% -2.8%
1998 62.9% -5.4%
1999 64.6% +2.6%
2000 70.6% +9.3%
2001 68.4% -3.1%
2002 66.2% -3.2%
2003 73.1% +10.4%
2004 73.8% +1.0%
2005 79.5% +7.7%
2006 76.0% -4.4%
2007 76.4% +0.6%
2008 80.5% +5.3%
2009 70.1% -12.9%
2010 73.0% +4.1%
2011 80.1% +9.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 43.7% 35.6% 48.3% 10
1970s 46.8% 40.6% 51.5% 10
1980s 49.7% 46.8% 55.7% 10
1990s 63.2% 53.8% 70.2% 10
2000s 73.5% 66.2% 80.5% 10
2010s 76.5% 73.0% 80.1% 2

Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa

  1. 1 Lesotho 159.0% compare
  2. 2 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 146.3% compare
  3. 3 Seychelles 144.7% compare
  4. 4 Zimbabwe 137.3% compare
  5. 5 Eswatini 137.1% compare

See the full ranking of 59 places →

More economy & growth data for Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa

All data for Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is merchandise trade to gdp ratio in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa?
Merchandise trade to gdp ratio in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa was 80.1% in 2011, according to World Bank country economists.
What is the highest merchandise trade to gdp ratio recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 80.5% in 2008.
What is the lowest merchandise trade to gdp ratio recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 35.6% in 1962.
How does Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa rank for merchandise trade to gdp ratio?
Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa ranks 2nd out of 6 groups with data for 2011.
Is merchandise trade to gdp ratio rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 17.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa data come from?
The figures come from World Bank country economists, published as part of Merchandise trade to GDP ratio (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Merchandise trade to GDP ratio in Sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on World Bank country economists. Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/stat/merchandise-trade-to-gdp-ratio-percent/sub-saharan-africa-excluding-south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Merchandise trade to GDP ratio (%)
Unit
%
Source
World Bank country economists
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
59 places, 2,599 data points, 1960–2011
Last refreshed

Merchandise trade as a share of GDP is the sum of merchandise exports and imports divided by the value of GDP, all in current US dollars and from the national accounts.