Food exports (% of merchandise exports) in Liberia
Liberia: Food exports (% of merchandise exports) was 24.5% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Food exports in Liberia, 1963–2023
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise exports.
Analysis
Liberia recorded 24.5% for food exports in 2023. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 43.1% on the previous year and up 286.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, food exports in Liberia peaked at 24.5% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 3.2%, in 2020.
Liberia ranks 70th of 196 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Food exports (% of merchandise exports) in Liberia, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise exports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1963 | 3.5% | — |
| 1967 | 3.3% | -4.8% |
| 1970 | 3.9% | +17.1% |
| 1971 | 4.2% | +8.7% |
| 1972 | 4.2% | -1.5% |
| 1973 | 3.5% | -16.2% |
| 1974 | 4.7% | +34.4% |
| 1975 | 3.7% | -20.8% |
| 1976 | 3.6% | -1.9% |
| 1977 | 12.5% | +242.3% |
| 1978 | 9.5% | -23.4% |
| 1979 | 8.5% | -10.5% |
| 1980 | 8.6% | +0.4% |
| 1981 | 7.2% | -16.6% |
| 1982 | 7.8% | +8.4% |
| 1983 | 8.1% | +4.9% |
| 1984 | 8.6% | +5.3% |
| 2017 | 6.3% | -26.1% |
| 2018 | 7.3% | +16.0% |
| 2019 | 6.5% | -10.8% |
| 2020 | 3.2% | -51.3% |
| 2021 | 17.9% | +462.4% |
| 2022 | 17.1% | -4.7% |
| 2023 | 24.5% | +43.1% |
Liberia compared with similar countries
- Liberia's 24.5% is below the median for low income countries, which is 34.9%, 70% of the median. (22 countries reporting)
- Liberia's 24.5% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 27.6%, 89% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Food exports (% of merchandise exports) in Liberia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | +462.4% | 3.2% | 17.9% |
| 1977 | +242.3% | 3.6% | 12.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.4% | 3.3% | 3.5% | 2 |
| 1970s | 5.8% | 3.5% | 12.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 8.0% | 7.2% | 8.6% | 5 |
| 2010s | 6.7% | 6.3% | 7.3% | 3 |
| 2020s | 15.7% | 3.2% | 24.5% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Liberia
More private sector data for Liberia
- Merchandise trade 87.0% (2025)
- Food imports 23.1% (2023)
- Manufactures imports 42.8% (2023)
- Merchandise imports 2.49 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service imports 250.26 million current US$ (2024)
- Manufactures exports 9.9% (2023)
- Merchandise exports 2.07 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service exports 18.00 million current US$ (2024)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 360.83 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.3942 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is food exports in Liberia?
- Food exports in Liberia was 24.5% in 2023, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest food exports recorded in Liberia?
- The highest recorded value was 24.5% in 2023.
- What is the lowest food exports recorded in Liberia?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.2% in 2020.
- How does Liberia rank for food exports?
- Liberia ranks 70th out of 196 countries with data for 2023.
- Is food exports rising or falling in Liberia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 286.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Liberia 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 — 24 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.