Food exports in Latin America & Caribbean
Latin America & Caribbean: Food exports was 24.7% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Food exports in Latin America & Caribbean, 1962–2024
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise exports.
Analysis
Latin America & Caribbean recorded 24.7% for food exports in 2024.
The figure is up 1.5% on the previous year and up 12.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, food exports in Latin America & Caribbean peaked at 50.9% in 1967 and was at its lowest, 17.2%, in 2006.
Latin America & Caribbean ranks 4th of 46 groups on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 61 years of available data.
Food exports in Latin America & Caribbean, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise exports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | 46.2% | — |
| 1963 | 44.9% | -2.9% |
| 1964 | 50.4% | +12.1% |
| 1965 | 50.0% | -0.7% |
| 1966 | 48.9% | -2.2% |
| 1967 | 50.9% | +4.2% |
| 1968 | 48.4% | -5.0% |
| 1969 | 46.4% | -4.1% |
| 1970 | 46.7% | +0.6% |
| 1971 | 46.4% | -0.6% |
| 1972 | 47.3% | +2.1% |
| 1973 | 42.2% | -10.9% |
| 1974 | 39.9% | -5.3% |
| 1975 | 39.6% | -0.9% |
| 1976 | 41.3% | +4.3% |
| 1977 | 42.5% | +2.9% |
| 1978 | 39.2% | -7.8% |
| 1979 | 35.2% | -10.1% |
| 1980 | 29.3% | -16.8% |
| 1981 | 27.1% | -7.6% |
| 1982 | 25.8% | -4.8% |
| 1983 | 26.4% | +2.6% |
| 1984 | 26.3% | -0.4% |
| 1985 | 26.0% | -1.3% |
| 1986 | 30.4% | +17.2% |
| 1987 | 26.9% | -11.8% |
| 1990 | 17.8% | -33.6% |
| 1991 | 18.6% | +4.0% |
| 1992 | 19.3% | +4.1% |
| 1993 | 20.8% | +7.5% |
| 1994 | 22.4% | +8.0% |
| 1995 | 22.6% | +0.7% |
| 1996 | 22.2% | -1.5% |
| 1997 | 22.6% | +1.6% |
| 1998 | 22.6% | -0.0% |
| 1999 | 21.2% | -6.3% |
| 2000 | 18.0% | -15.1% |
| 2001 | 19.6% | +8.9% |
| 2002 | 19.5% | -0.5% |
| 2003 | 19.9% | +2.2% |
| 2004 | 19.0% | -4.8% |
| 2005 | 17.9% | -5.7% |
| 2006 | 17.2% | -3.8% |
| 2007 | 18.4% | +7.0% |
| 2008 | 18.1% | -1.5% |
| 2009 | 20.8% | +14.8% |
| 2010 | 19.0% | -8.8% |
| 2011 | 19.2% | +1.1% |
| 2012 | 19.2% | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 20.2% | +5.3% |
| 2014 | 21.9% | +8.5% |
| 2015 | 23.9% | +9.0% |
| 2016 | 24.8% | +3.8% |
| 2017 | 23.9% | -3.4% |
| 2018 | 22.9% | -4.3% |
| 2019 | 23.8% | +4.2% |
| 2020 | 25.9% | +8.7% |
| 2021 | 22.8% | -12.0% |
| 2022 | 23.6% | +3.7% |
| 2023 | 24.3% | +2.8% |
| 2024 | 24.7% | +1.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 48.3% | 44.9% | 50.9% | 8 |
| 1970s | 42.0% | 35.2% | 47.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 27.3% | 25.8% | 30.4% | 8 |
| 1990s | 21.0% | 17.8% | 22.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 18.8% | 17.2% | 20.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 21.9% | 19.0% | 24.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 24.3% | 22.8% | 25.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Latin America & Caribbean
More private sector data for Latin America & Caribbean
- Merchandise trade 44.2% (2025)
- Food imports 9.1% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 73.2% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 1.66 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Manufactures exports 46.5% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 1.67 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 2,503 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.2256 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 6.02 % change on previous year (2025)
- Merchandise imports (current US$), per capita 2,487 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is food exports in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Food exports in Latin America & Caribbean was 24.7% in 2024, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest food exports recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
- The highest recorded value was 50.9% in 1967.
- What is the lowest food exports recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.2% in 2006.
- How does Latin America & Caribbean rank for food exports?
- Latin America & Caribbean ranks 4th out of 46 groups with data for 2024.
- Is food exports rising or falling in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Latin America & Caribbean 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.