Imports by region of origin in South Africa
South Africa: Imports by region of origin was 9.00 billion current US$ in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
9.00 billion current US$
Change on year
up 7.6%
World rank
46th
of 210 countries
All-time high
11.09 billion current US$
in 2023
All-time low
3.46 billion current US$
in 2001
Years of data
28
1998–2025
Imports by region of origin in South Africa, 1998–2025
Source: International Monetary Fund (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in current US$.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 9.00 billion current US$ for imports by region of origin in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 7.6% on the previous year and up 19.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, imports by region of origin in South Africa peaked at 11.09 billion current US$ in 2023 and was at its lowest, 3.46 billion current US$, in 2001.
That places South Africa 46th out of 210 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 28 years of available data.
Imports by region of origin in South Africa, year by year
| Year | current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 4.02 billion current US$ | — |
| 1999 | 3.70 billion current US$ | -8.0% |
| 2000 | 3.72 billion current US$ | +0.7% |
| 2001 | 3.46 billion current US$ | -7.0% |
| 2002 | 3.50 billion current US$ | +1.1% |
| 2003 | 3.96 billion current US$ | +13.0% |
| 2004 | 4.73 billion current US$ | +19.6% |
| 2005 | 8.52 billion current US$ | +79.9% |
| 2006 | 6.40 billion current US$ | -24.9% |
| 2007 | 7.70 billion current US$ | +20.5% |
| 2008 | 9.10 billion current US$ | +18.2% |
| 2009 | 6.18 billion current US$ | -32.1% |
| 2010 | 7.62 billion current US$ | +23.3% |
| 2011 | 10.21 billion current US$ | +34.1% |
| 2012 | 9.57 billion current US$ | -6.4% |
| 2013 | 8.39 billion current US$ | -12.3% |
| 2014 | 8.24 billion current US$ | -1.8% |
| 2015 | 7.51 billion current US$ | -8.8% |
| 2016 | 6.44 billion current US$ | -14.3% |
| 2017 | 6.88 billion current US$ | +6.9% |
| 2018 | 7.04 billion current US$ | +2.2% |
| 2019 | 7.20 billion current US$ | +2.3% |
| 2020 | 5.55 billion current US$ | -22.9% |
| 2021 | 8.09 billion current US$ | +45.8% |
| 2022 | 9.80 billion current US$ | +21.1% |
| 2023 | 11.09 billion current US$ | +13.2% |
| 2024 | 8.36 billion current US$ | -24.6% |
| 2025 | 9.00 billion current US$ | +7.6% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 9.00 billion current US$ is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 997.23 million current US$, 9.0× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 9.00 billion current US$ is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 154.70 million current US$, 58.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.86 billion current US$ | 3.70 billion current US$ | 4.02 billion current US$ | 2 |
| 2000s | 5.73 billion current US$ | 3.46 billion current US$ | 9.10 billion current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.91 billion current US$ | 6.44 billion current US$ | 10.21 billion current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.65 billion current US$ | 5.55 billion current US$ | 11.09 billion current US$ | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More economy & growth data for South Africa
- Real gdp growth, annual growth rate 108.41 % change on previous year (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 0.4836 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 1.4 Percent per annum (2029)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate 6.87 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0145 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 95.75 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate 1.77 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0106 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 69.91 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate -28.9 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is imports by region of origin in South Africa?
- Imports by region of origin in South Africa was 9.00 billion current US$ in 2025, according to International Monetary Fund (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest imports by region of origin recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 11.09 billion current US$ in 2023.
- What is the lowest imports by region of origin recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.46 billion current US$ in 2001.
- How does South Africa rank for imports by region of origin?
- South Africa ranks 46th out of 210 countries with data for 2025.
- Is imports by region of origin rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 19.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Imports by region of origin. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Total value of goods a country imports from North America in US dollars, including freight and insurance costs. This data is not adjusted for inflation.