Food exports (% of merchandise exports) in Jamaica
Jamaica: Food exports (% of merchandise exports) was 29.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Food exports in Jamaica, 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 Jamaica is 29.5%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 12.1% on the previous year and up 59.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, food exports in Jamaica peaked at 50.1% in 1963 and was at its lowest, 12.8%, in 1981.
Jamaica ranks 61st of 196 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 53 years of available data.
Food exports (% of merchandise exports) in Jamaica, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise exports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | 42.8% | — |
| 1963 | 50.1% | +17.2% |
| 1972 | 25.3% | -49.5% |
| 1973 | 24.3% | -4.0% |
| 1974 | 19.5% | -19.9% |
| 1975 | 28.3% | +45.3% |
| 1976 | 21.2% | -25.2% |
| 1977 | 20.3% | -4.3% |
| 1978 | 18.6% | -8.1% |
| 1979 | 16.9% | -9.5% |
| 1980 | 13.7% | -18.7% |
| 1981 | 12.8% | -6.4% |
| 1982 | 18.4% | +43.7% |
| 1983 | 22.8% | +23.4% |
| 1984 | 19.3% | -15.1% |
| 1985 | 26.1% | +34.8% |
| 1986 | 28.0% | +7.4% |
| 1987 | 26.6% | -4.9% |
| 1991 | 22.5% | -15.5% |
| 1992 | 23.5% | +4.6% |
| 1993 | 25.4% | +7.9% |
| 1994 | 21.2% | -16.6% |
| 1995 | 22.3% | +5.5% |
| 1996 | 24.1% | +8.0% |
| 1997 | 23.7% | -1.8% |
| 1998 | 24.4% | +3.0% |
| 1999 | 24.2% | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 22.6% | -6.6% |
| 2001 | 22.8% | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 23.0% | +1.1% |
| 2003 | 23.1% | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 22.6% | -2.3% |
| 2005 | 17.5% | -22.7% |
| 2006 | 16.8% | -3.8% |
| 2007 | 15.7% | -6.6% |
| 2008 | 14.7% | -6.2% |
| 2009 | 27.1% | +83.8% |
| 2010 | 24.5% | -9.4% |
| 2011 | 22.0% | -10.3% |
| 2012 | 22.3% | +1.2% |
| 2013 | 21.3% | -4.4% |
| 2014 | 22.1% | +3.8% |
| 2015 | 18.5% | -16.3% |
| 2016 | 27.9% | +50.7% |
| 2017 | 27.1% | -2.8% |
| 2018 | 17.3% | -36.2% |
| 2019 | 23.0% | +32.9% |
| 2020 | 31.4% | +36.5% |
| 2021 | 32.4% | +3.3% |
| 2022 | 31.4% | -3.2% |
| 2023 | 30.4% | -3.1% |
| 2024 | 26.3% | -13.4% |
| 2025 | 29.5% | +12.1% |
Jamaica compared with similar countries
- Jamaica's 29.5% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 19.9%, 1.5× the median. (56 countries reporting)
- Jamaica's 29.5% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 32.3%, 91% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Food exports (% of merchandise exports) in Jamaica 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | +83.8% | 14.7% | 27.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 46.5% | 42.8% | 50.1% | 2 |
| 1970s | 21.8% | 16.9% | 28.3% | 8 |
| 1980s | 21.0% | 12.8% | 28.0% | 8 |
| 1990s | 23.5% | 21.2% | 25.4% | 9 |
| 2000s | 20.6% | 14.7% | 27.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 22.6% | 17.3% | 27.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 30.2% | 26.3% | 32.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Jamaica
More private sector data for Jamaica
- Merchandise trade 41.3% (2025)
- Food imports 22.2% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 53.3% (2025)
- Merchandise imports 7.68 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service imports 3.55 billion current US$ (2025)
- Manufactures exports 3.9% (2025)
- Merchandise exports 1.69 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service exports 5.03 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 595.33 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.0744 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is food exports in Jamaica?
- Food exports in Jamaica was 29.5% in 2025, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest food exports recorded in Jamaica?
- The highest recorded value was 50.1% in 1963.
- What is the lowest food exports recorded in Jamaica?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.8% in 1981.
- How does Jamaica rank for food exports?
- Jamaica ranks 61st out of 196 countries with data for 2025.
- Is food exports rising or falling in Jamaica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 59.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Jamaica 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.