Food exports (% of merchandise exports) in Belgium
Belgium: Food exports (% of merchandise exports) was 13.8% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Food exports in Belgium, 1962–2025
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise exports.
Analysis
The most recent figure for food exports in Belgium is 13.8%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 53 years on record.
That represents a change of up 3.1% on the previous year and up 16.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, food exports in Belgium peaked at 13.8% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 6.0%, in 1962.
Belgium ranks 111th of 196 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 53 years of available data.
Food exports (% of merchandise exports) in Belgium, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise exports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | 6.0% | — |
| 1963 | 6.9% | +14.0% |
| 1964 | 6.2% | -10.4% |
| 1965 | 7.1% | +14.6% |
| 1966 | 7.2% | +1.2% |
| 1967 | 8.2% | +15.2% |
| 1968 | 8.2% | -0.8% |
| 1969 | 8.1% | -1.5% |
| 1970 | 8.4% | +4.1% |
| 1971 | 9.3% | +10.7% |
| 1972 | 9.6% | +3.2% |
| 1973 | 9.6% | +0.4% |
| 1974 | 8.9% | -7.9% |
| 1975 | 10.1% | +13.9% |
| 1976 | 9.5% | -6.0% |
| 1977 | 9.7% | +1.8% |
| 1978 | 9.5% | -1.1% |
| 1979 | 9.3% | -2.9% |
| 1980 | 9.4% | +1.3% |
| 1981 | 10.7% | +14.4% |
| 1982 | 11.0% | +2.6% |
| 1983 | 10.2% | -7.7% |
| 1984 | 10.9% | +6.8% |
| 1985 | 10.3% | -5.5% |
| 1986 | 10.2% | -0.3% |
| 1987 | 10.3% | +0.2% |
| 1999 | 10.0% | -2.1% |
| 2000 | 8.9% | -11.2% |
| 2001 | 9.2% | +2.9% |
| 2002 | 8.6% | -6.7% |
| 2003 | 8.7% | +1.6% |
| 2004 | 8.3% | -4.2% |
| 2005 | 8.1% | -3.2% |
| 2006 | 7.8% | -3.2% |
| 2007 | 7.9% | +1.8% |
| 2008 | 8.6% | +8.1% |
| 2009 | 9.6% | +12.1% |
| 2010 | 10.8% | +12.5% |
| 2011 | 10.4% | -4.1% |
| 2012 | 10.9% | +5.4% |
| 2013 | 11.2% | +1.9% |
| 2014 | 11.2% | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 11.9% | +6.4% |
| 2016 | 11.5% | -3.0% |
| 2017 | 11.3% | -2.1% |
| 2018 | 10.9% | -3.6% |
| 2019 | 11.1% | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 11.9% | +7.4% |
| 2021 | 10.3% | -12.9% |
| 2022 | 9.4% | -9.5% |
| 2023 | 12.0% | +28.6% |
| 2024 | 13.4% | +11.3% |
| 2025 | 13.8% | +3.1% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 13.8% is above the median for high income countries, which is 11.3%, 1.2× the median. (71 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 13.8% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 12.8%, 1.1× the median. (50 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 7.2% | 6.0% | 8.2% | 8 |
| 1970s | 9.4% | 8.4% | 10.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 10.4% | 9.4% | 11.0% | 8 |
| 1990s | 10.0% | 10.0% | 10.0% | 1 |
| 2000s | 8.6% | 7.8% | 9.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.1% | 10.4% | 11.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.8% | 9.4% | 13.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
More private sector data for Belgium
- Merchandise trade 152.4% (2025)
- Food imports 12.8% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 65.8% (2025)
- Merchandise imports 537.70 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service imports 170.83 billion current US$ (2025)
- Manufactures exports 69.4% (2025)
- Merchandise exports 568.11 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service exports 158.37 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 47,573 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.7831 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is food exports in Belgium?
- Food exports in Belgium was 13.8% in 2025, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest food exports recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 13.8% in 2025.
- What is the lowest food exports recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.0% in 1962.
- How does Belgium rank for food exports?
- Belgium ranks 111th out of 196 countries with data for 2025.
- Is food exports rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is up 16.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Belgium 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.