Manufactures imports in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income): Manufactures imports was 56.8% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Manufactures imports in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), 1974–2024
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise imports.
Analysis
In 2024, manufactures imports in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) stood at 56.8%. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
The figure is down 3.1% on the previous year and down 9.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, manufactures imports in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) peaked at 79.7% in 1975 and was at its lowest, 56.8%, in 2024.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 78.1% | 76.2% | 79.7% | 6 |
| 1990s | 69.3% | 68.5% | 70.4% | 4 |
| 2000s | 66.5% | 65.2% | 68.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 64.1% | 62.3% | 67.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 59.9% | 56.8% | 64.7% | 5 |
More private sector data for Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
- Merchandise exports 486.25 billion current US$ (2025)
- Manufactures exports 19.4% (2024)
- Food exports 14.5% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 499.63 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food imports 12.1% (2024)
- Merchandise trade 44.5% (2025)
- Commercial service exports 80.44 billion current US$ (2024)
- Transport services 39.4% (2024)
- Computer, communications and other services 38.5% (2024)
- Commercial service imports 133.64 billion current US$ (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is manufactures imports in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Manufactures imports in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) was 56.8% in 2024, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest manufactures imports recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 79.7% in 1975.
- What is the lowest manufactures imports recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 56.8% in 2024.
- Is manufactures imports rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) data come from?
- The figures come from Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division, published as part of Manufactures imports (% of merchandise imports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Manufactures comprise commodities in SITC (Rev. 3) sections 5 (chemicals), 6 (basic manufactures), 7 (machinery and transport equipment), and 8 (miscellaneous manufactured goods), excluding division 68 (non-ferrous metals). This indicator is expressed as a percentage of merchandise imports which is comprised of goods whose economic ownership is changed between a non-resident and a resident and that are not included in the following specific categories: goods under merchanting, non-monetary gold, and parts of travel, construction, and government goods and services n.i.e.