Food exports in Africa Eastern and Southern
Africa Eastern and Southern: Food exports was 14.5% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Food exports in Africa Eastern and Southern, 1974–2024
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise exports.
Analysis
In 2024, food exports in Africa Eastern and Southern stood at 14.5%.
The figure is up 0.4% on the previous year and up 8.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, food exports in Africa Eastern and Southern peaked at 28.7% in 1974 and was at its lowest, 11.3%, in 2011.
Africa Eastern and Southern ranks 17th of 46 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 32 years of available data.
Food exports in Africa Eastern and Southern, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise exports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | 28.7% | — |
| 1978 | 25.1% | -12.5% |
| 1979 | 19.7% | -21.7% |
| 1980 | 15.3% | -22.2% |
| 1981 | 15.6% | +1.9% |
| 1997 | 24.0% | +53.7% |
| 1999 | 23.6% | -1.4% |
| 2000 | 19.2% | -19.0% |
| 2001 | 19.3% | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 18.3% | -4.9% |
| 2003 | 18.3% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 17.1% | -6.9% |
| 2005 | 16.4% | -4.0% |
| 2006 | 14.8% | -9.7% |
| 2007 | 11.4% | -23.2% |
| 2008 | 11.8% | +3.5% |
| 2009 | 13.8% | +17.1% |
| 2010 | 13.5% | -1.8% |
| 2011 | 11.3% | -16.7% |
| 2012 | 12.2% | +7.9% |
| 2013 | 13.8% | +13.1% |
| 2014 | 13.4% | -2.7% |
| 2015 | 14.7% | +10.0% |
| 2016 | 15.4% | +4.8% |
| 2017 | 15.3% | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 15.1% | -1.5% |
| 2019 | 13.7% | -9.2% |
| 2020 | 14.4% | +4.9% |
| 2021 | 13.3% | -7.3% |
| 2022 | 13.7% | +2.8% |
| 2023 | 14.4% | +5.5% |
| 2024 | 14.5% | +0.4% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Food exports in Africa Eastern and Southern changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | +53.7% | 15.6% | 24.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 24.5% | 19.7% | 28.7% | 3 |
| 1980s | 15.5% | 15.3% | 15.6% | 2 |
| 1990s | 23.8% | 23.6% | 24.0% | 2 |
| 2000s | 16.0% | 11.4% | 19.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.8% | 11.3% | 15.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.1% | 13.3% | 14.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Africa Eastern and Southern
- 14 Cape Verde 86.4% compare
- 15 Seychelles 85.9% compare
- 16 Vanuatu 85.3% compare
- 17 Antigua and Barbuda 84.7% compare
- 18 Ethiopia 80.4% compare
- 19 Panama 73.6% compare
- 20 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 72.5% compare
More private sector data for Africa Eastern and Southern
- Merchandise trade 45.4% (2025)
- Food imports 10.9% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 60.3% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 337.80 billion current US$ (2025)
- Manufactures exports 26.0% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 282.56 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 358.19 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.208 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 5.18 % change on previous year (2025)
- Merchandise imports (current US$), per capita 428.22 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is food exports in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- Food exports in Africa Eastern and Southern was 14.5% in 2024, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest food exports recorded in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- The highest recorded value was 28.7% in 1974.
- What is the lowest food exports recorded in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.3% in 2011.
- How does Africa Eastern and Southern rank for food exports?
- Africa Eastern and Southern ranks 17th out of 46 groups with data for 2024.
- Is food exports rising or falling in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Africa Eastern and Southern data come from?
- The figures come from Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division, published as part of Food exports (% of merchandise exports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Food comprises the commodities in SITC (Rev. 3) sections 0 (food and live animals), 1 (beverages and tobacco), and 4 (animal and vegetable oils and fats) and division 22 (oil seeds, oil nuts, and oil kernels). This indicator is expressed as a percentage of merchandise exports which is comprised of goods whose economic ownership is changed between a resident and a non-resident and that are not included in the following specific categories: goods under merchanting, non-monetary gold, and parts of travel, construction, and government goods and services n.i.e.