Trade balance — all countries

Trade balance — Southern Africa

Trade balance in Southern Africa in 2025 — 2,751,783,836 US$. Since 1960, the indicator has risen by 654.5%.

2025 2.75B US$ +26,609.18% vs 2024
World rank
Period maximum 21.11B US$2021
Period minimum -13.07B US$2013

Trend over time

1960–2025 · US$

Trade balance — Southern Africa, 1960–2025-20B-10B010B20B30B19601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 364,694,362 US$1962: 723,371,093 US$1964: 172,794,168 US$1966: 227,542,039 US$1968: 396,510,189 US$1970: -692,895,761 US$1972: 444,510,524 US$1974: -370,284,793 US$1976: -671,082,668 US$1978: 2,751,346,921 US$1980: 6,284,065,587 US$1982: -645,883,457 US$1984: 1,276,581,021 US$1986: 6,210,053,938 US$1988: 6,723,249,269 US$1990: 6,146,914,660 US$1992: 5,344,321,077 US$1994: 3,316,689,574 US$1996: 2,784,918,374 US$1998: 1,014,103,546 US$2000: 4,463,120,871 US$2002: 4,994,032,215 US$2004: 258,579,508 US$2006: -2,782,303,903 US$2008: -7,219,566,325 US$2010: 749,366,233 US$2012: -12,113,413,528 US$2014: -9,613,828,214 US$2016: -688,671,633 US$2018: -448,270,176 US$2020: 10,225,227,088 US$2022: 5,231,114,377 US$2024: 10,302,763 US$2025: 2,751,783,836 US$
Change over the period: +2.39B (+654.55%) Average annual rate: 3.16 %
Trade balance — Southern Africa, by year Southern Africa All countries CSV XLSX
Year US$ Change Change, %
2025 2.75B +2.74B +26,609.18%
2024 10.3M +1.91B +100.54%
2023 -1.9B −7.13B −136.27%
2022 5.23B −15.88B −75.22%
2021 21.11B +10.89B +106.46%
2020 10.23B +12.03B +666.83%
2019 -1.8B −1.36B −302.42%
2018 -448M −2.43B −122.62%
2017 1.98B +2.67B +387.73%
2016 -689M +8.71B +92.67%
2015 -9.4B +216M +2.25%
2014 -9.61B +3.46B +26.44%
2013 -13.07B −956M −7.89%
2012 -12.11B −11.22B −1,251.85%
2011 -896M −1.65B −219.58%
2010 749M +4.26B +121.37%
2009 -3.51B +3.71B +51.42%
2008 -7.22B −3.28B −83.09%
2007 -3.94B −1.16B −41.72%
2006 -2.78B −3.85B −359.86%
2005 1.07B +812M +314.06%
2004 259M −4.33B −94.37%
2003 4.59B −404M −8.08%
2002 4.99B −111M −2.17%
2001 5.1B +642M +14.37%
2000 4.46B +698M +18.55%
1999 3.76B +2.75B +271.25%
1998 1.01B −1.06B −51.01%
1997 2.07B −715M −25.66%
1996 2.78B +1.59B +133.08%
1995 1.19B −2.12B −63.98%
1994 3.32B −3B −47.51%
1993 6.32B +974M +18.22%
1992 5.34B +126M +2.42%
1991 5.22B −929M −15.11%
1990 6.15B +564M +10.11%
1989 5.58B −1.14B −16.97%
1988 6.72B −2.19B −24.61%
1987 8.92B +2.71B +43.6%
1986 6.21B +792M +14.62%
1985 5.42B +4.14B +324.39%
1984 1.28B −1.7B −57.08%
1983 2.97B +3.62B +560.55%
1982 -646M +1.93B +74.95%
1981 -2.58B −8.86B −141.04%
1980 6.28B +1.39B +28.33%
1979 4.9B +2.15B +77.98%
1978 2.75B +1.05B +62.12%
1977 1.7B +2.37B +352.88%
1976 -671M +446M +39.92%
1975 -1.12B −747M −201.67%
1974 -370M −988M −159.92%
1973 618M +173M +39.01%
1972 445M +1.34B +149.53%
1971 -897M −205M −29.53%
1970 -693M −734M −1,769.96%
1969 41.49M −355M −89.54%
1968 397M +391M +6,737.14%
1967 5.8M −222M −97.45%
1966 228M +379M +250.52%
1965 -151M −324M −187.49%
1964 173M −314M −64.52%
1963 487M −236M −32.67%
1962 723M +100M +16.11%
1961 623M +258M +70.83%
1960 365M

About the indicator

The balance of foreign trade in goods and services: exports minus imports. This is the largest part of the current account but not the whole of it — investment income and remittances do not enter the trade balance, and for countries with large transfers the two indicators move in opposite directions. A surplus is not in itself a sign of a healthy economy: a country importing equipment for construction will run a deficit precisely because it is investing in growth.

Important: Goods and services together. For countries with large service exports — tourism, transport, software — the merchandise balance can be negative while the overall balance is positive.

Source: World Development Indicators (World Bank), license CC BY 4.0.