The latest plotted observation compared with the one immediately before it.
Trade · official observation
South Africa trade share
The latest available value was 60.9% in 2025. Compared with 2024, the latest value changed by -0.7 pts.
Latest availableWorld Bank sourceNo forecast values
Latest available value60.9%
South Africa · 2025
Change from 2024-0.7 pts
One period comparison, not annualized
Data statusLatest available
Observed source series
Historical observationsSouth Africa Trade share
60.9%2025
Explain this chart
Economic size, Geography, Trade policy
A high share does not by itself show dependency, resilience, or whether trade creates broadly shared gains.
View accessible data table
| Period | Value | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 60.9% | observed |
| 2024 | 61.6% | observed |
| 2023 | 65.7% | observed |
| 2022 | 64.9% | observed |
| 2021 | 56.2% | observed |
| 2020 | 50.8% | observed |
| 2019 | 53.9% | observed |
| 2018 | 54.5% | observed |
| 2017 | 53.5% | observed |
| 2016 | 55.9% | observed |
What this number measures
The combined value of exports and imports of goods and services as a percentage of GDP.
Why people watch it
It gives a broad sense of how connected an economy is to demand and supply across borders.
- 01Economic size
- 02Geography
- 03Trade policy
- 04Supply chains
These are common mechanisms, not claims about what caused the latest movement in South Africa.
Limits of this comparison
A high share does not by itself show dependency, resilience, or whether trade creates broadly shared gains.
Annual observations can refer to different release schedules. Recent values can also be revised by the source.
Source record
World Bank World Development Indicators
Series NE.TRD.GNFS.ZS. Retrieved August 17, 2026. Series source organization: Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks; National Accounts data files, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); Staff estimates, World Bank (WB). World Economy independently selected, cached, and transformed this WDI subset; no source publisher endorses the product.