Food exports (% of merchandise exports) in Bhutan
Bhutan: Food exports (% of merchandise exports) was 5.9% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Food exports in Bhutan, 1993–2025
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise exports.
Analysis
In 2025, food exports in Bhutan stood at 5.9%. That is the lowest value across all 20 years on record.
That represents a change of down 51.5% on the previous year and down 62.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, food exports in Bhutan peaked at 48.3% in 2008 and was at its lowest, 5.9%, in 2025.
Bhutan ranks 154th of 196 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Food exports (% of merchandise exports) in Bhutan, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise exports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 23.1% | — |
| 1994 | 23.3% | +0.6% |
| 1998 | 15.1% | -35.1% |
| 1999 | 13.3% | -11.7% |
| 2005 | 10.6% | -20.2% |
| 2006 | 12.9% | +20.9% |
| 2007 | 10.2% | -20.4% |
| 2008 | 48.3% | +371.9% |
| 2009 | 6.1% | -87.4% |
| 2010 | 7.2% | +17.6% |
| 2011 | 8.5% | +17.9% |
| 2012 | 6.9% | -17.9% |
| 2016 | 15.7% | +126.9% |
| 2017 | 14.5% | -7.9% |
| 2018 | 11.7% | -19.1% |
| 2019 | 13.1% | +11.9% |
| 2020 | 15.0% | +14.6% |
| 2022 | 11.6% | -22.6% |
| 2023 | 12.2% | +4.6% |
| 2025 | 5.9% | -51.5% |
Bhutan compared with similar countries
- Bhutan's 5.9% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 21.6%, 27% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Bhutan's 5.9% is below the median for South Asia, which is 20.5%, 29% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Food exports (% of merchandise exports) in Bhutan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | +371.9% | 10.2% | 48.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 18.7% | 13.3% | 23.3% | 4 |
| 2000s | 17.6% | 6.1% | 48.3% | 5 |
| 2010s | 11.1% | 6.9% | 15.7% | 7 |
| 2020s | 11.2% | 5.9% | 15.0% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Bhutan
More private sector data for Bhutan
- Merchandise trade 83.3% (2025)
- Food imports 11.5% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 70.3% (2025)
- Merchandise imports 2.18 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service imports 220.69 million current US$ (2024)
- Manufactures exports 58.7% (2025)
- Merchandise exports 800.00 million current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service exports 257.09 million current US$ (2024)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 1,004 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.2235 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is food exports in Bhutan?
- Food exports in Bhutan was 5.9% in 2025, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest food exports recorded in Bhutan?
- The highest recorded value was 48.3% in 2008.
- What is the lowest food exports recorded in Bhutan?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.9% in 2025.
- How does Bhutan rank for food exports?
- Bhutan ranks 154th out of 196 countries with data for 2025.
- Is food exports rising or falling in Bhutan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 62.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Bhutan 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 20 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
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.