Fuel imports (% of merchandise imports) in South Africa stood at 17.67% in 2025, according to World Bank. The latest value is down 1.75 percentage points from 19.42% in 2024. Ten years earlier, in 2015, the value was 15.69% (up 1.98 percentage points since). The highest value since 1974 was 23.35% in 2014, the lowest 0.24% in 1975. South Africa ranked 37th highest of the 138 countries in this dataset in 2024; Brunei Darussalam ranked first.
Data source: World Bank · Unit: % · Category: Commodities and Energy · Explore more indicators on EconDash
Fuel imports (% of merchandise imports), measured in %, captures South Africa's cross-border flows of goods and services, revealing the country's competitive position in global markets, trade relationships, and exposure to external economic shocks. Trade data encompasses exports (goods and services sold to other countries), imports (purchases from abroad), and the resulting balance (surplus when exports exceed imports, deficit when the reverse occurs). In South Africa, Fuel imports (% of merchandise imports) reflects comparative advantages — sectors where the country produces efficiently relative to trading partners — as well as exchange rate effects and global demand patterns. Persistent trade deficits may indicate domestic consumption exceeding production, while surpluses suggest strong export competitiveness. Trade relationships also create supply chain dependencies; disruptions in partner countries can affect South Africa's industries that rely on imported components or foreign markets for their products.
Fuel imports (% of merchandise imports) in South Africa stood at 17.67% in 2025, according to World Bank.
The latest value is down 1.75 percentage points from 19.42% in 2024. Ten years earlier, in 2015, the value was 15.69% (up 1.98 percentage points since).
South Africa ranked 37th highest of the 138 countries in this dataset in 2024; Brunei Darussalam ranked first.
The highest value since 1974 was 23.35% in 2014, the lowest 0.24% in 1975.
| Indicator | Fuel imports (% of merchandise imports) |
|---|---|
| Country | South Africa |
| Category | Commodities and Energy |
| Unit | % |
| Source | World Bank |
| Interactive chart | View on EconDash |
| API access | EconDash API documentation |
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World Bank. (2026). Fuel imports (% of merchandise imports) — South Africa [Data set]. Retrieved November 13, 2026, from EconDash: https://econdash.org/chart/wdi-tm-val-fuel-zs-un/ZAF. Original source: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/TM.VAL.FUEL.ZS.UN
World Bank. "Fuel imports (% of merchandise imports) — South Africa." EconDash, 2026, https://econdash.org/chart/wdi-tm-val-fuel-zs-un/ZAF. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026. Original source: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/TM.VAL.FUEL.ZS.UN.
World Bank. 2026. "Fuel imports (% of merchandise imports) — South Africa." EconDash. Accessed November 13, 2026. https://econdash.org/chart/wdi-tm-val-fuel-zs-un/ZAF. Original source: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/TM.VAL.FUEL.ZS.UN.
@misc{econdash_wdi_tm_val_fuel_zs_un_zaf,
author = {{World Bank}},
title = {{Fuel imports (\% of merchandise imports) --- South Africa}},
howpublished = {EconDash},
year = {2026},
url = {https://econdash.org/chart/wdi-tm-val-fuel-zs-un/ZAF},
note = {Accessed: 2026-11-13. Original source: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/TM.VAL.FUEL.ZS.UN}
}Browse indicators available for South Africa. Click any indicator to view its interactive chart, compare with other countries, and download historical data.
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