South Africa's merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in Europe & Central Asia (% of total merchandise exports) was 0.53% in 2023, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is down 0.31 percentage points from 0.84% in 2013.
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 0.53% | 2023 |
| Five years earlier | 0.73% | 2018 |
| Ten years earlier | 0.84% | 2013 |
| Highest | 0.97% | 2008 |
| Lowest | 0.1% | 2001 |
| Average since 2014 | 0.65% | 2014–2023 |
| First recorded | 0.53% | 1998 |
What the numbers say
In 2023, South Africa's merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in Europe & Central Asia (% of total merchandise exports) fell 0.01 percentage points on 2022 (from 0.54% to 0.53%).
Across the 24 yearly changes before that (1999 to 2022), the average change was +0 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.21 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.0 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.
On record, the biggest yearly rise was 0.52 percentage points in 2002 and the biggest yearly fall was 0.4 percentage points in 2001. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.
From 2014 to 2023 the straight-line trend is downward, about 0.04 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 69% of the movement over 10 observed years.
Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.
How it compares
In 2023, South Africa had the 123rd highest value of the 188 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 0.53% | 2023 |
| World | 3.19% | 2023 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 1.52% | 2023 |
| Upper middle income | 3.17% | 2023 |
Closest to South Africa in the 2023 ranking
- Guinea-Bissau — 119th of 188: 0.61%
- Suriname — 120th of 188: 0.57%
- Faroe Islands — 121st of 188: 0.57%
- Qatar — 123rd of 188: 0.5%
- Bolivia — 124th of 188: 0.46%
- Maldives — 125th of 188: 0.45%
What this measures
Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in Europe and Central Asia are the sum of merchandise exports from the reporting economy to low- and middle-income economies in the Europe and Central Asia region according to World Bank classification of economies. Data are as a percentage of total merchandise exports by the economy. Data are computed only if at least half of the economies in the partner country group had non-missing data.
Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.
All 26 values
| Year | Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in Europe & Central Asia (% of total merchandise exports) |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 0.5277 |
| 2022 | 0.5358 |
| 2021 | 0.4674 |
| 2020 | 0.6547 |
| 2019 | 0.4409 |
| 2018 | 0.7291 |
| 2017 | 0.7231 |
| 2016 | 0.7024 |
| 2015 | 0.9065 |
| 2014 | 0.8519 |
Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in Europe & Central Asia (% of total merchandise exports) in nearby economies
- Angola — 0.03% (2023)
- Benin — 0.96% (2023)
- Botswana — 0.00131% (2021)
- Burkina Faso — 0.26% (2023)
- Cabo Verde — 0.00223% (2023)
- Cameroon — 1.31% (2023)
- Central African Republic
More private sector & trade data for South Africa
- Merchandise trade (% of GDP) — 57.23% (2025)
- Insurance and financial services (% of commercial service imports) — 5.66% (2025)
- Merchandise imports (current US$) — US$128.08 billion (2025)
- Computer, communications and other services (% of commercial service imports) — 44.21% (2025)
- Commercial service imports (current US$) — US$21.49 billion (2025)
- Transport services (% of commercial service imports) — 36.96% (2025)
- Travel services (% of commercial service imports) — 13.18% (2025)
- Insurance and financial services (% of commercial service exports) — 9.81% (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is South Africa's merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in Europe & Central Asia (% of total merchandise exports)?
- 0.53% in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1998?
- It is up 0.00244 percentage points from 0.53% in 1998. The highest value was 0.97% in 2008 and the lowest 0.1% in 2001.
- How does South Africa rank?
- 123rd highest of 188 economies with data for 2023.
- Is the latest change in merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies in Europe & Central Asia (% of total merchandise exports) unusual for South Africa?
Source
World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator TX.VAL.MRCH.R2.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Staff estimates, World Bank (WB); Direction of Trade database, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.
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