The latest plotted observation compared with the one immediately before it.
Trade · observed
Trade as a share of the economy
The combined value of exports and imports of goods and services as a percentage of GDP.
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 observationsTrade share in South Africa
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 |
Why it matters
It gives a broad sense of how connected an economy is to cross border demand and supply.
People often affected
- Exporters
- Importers
- Consumers
- Workers
- 01Economic size
- 02Geography
- 03Trade policy
- 04Supply chains
These are common mechanisms, not claims about what caused the latest movement.
Limits of this data
A high share does not by itself show dependency, resilience, or whether trade creates broadly shared gains.
Revision status: The API does not expose a revision flag for these observations. Treat recent values as revisable.
Official source
World Bank: World Development Indicators
Series NE.TRD.GNFS.ZS. Snapshot retrieved Aug 5, 2026. Reporting frequency: annual. Seasonal adjustment: not applicable.