Food exports (% of merchandise exports) in Nigeria
Nigeria: Food exports (% of merchandise exports) was 6.4% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Food exports in Nigeria, 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 Nigeria is 6.4%, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of up 7.4% on the previous year and up 122.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, food exports in Nigeria peaked at 64.5% in 1962 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 2001.
That places Nigeria 152nd out of 196 countries with data for 2025, putting it 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 Nigeria, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise exports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | 64.5% | — |
| 1963 | 62.3% | -3.4% |
| 1964 | 61.0% | -2.1% |
| 1965 | 54.4% | -10.9% |
| 1966 | 46.9% | -13.8% |
| 1967 | 51.1% | +9.1% |
| 1968 | 63.3% | +23.8% |
| 1969 | 42.1% | -33.5% |
| 1970 | 31.3% | -25.5% |
| 1971 | 19.4% | -38.0% |
| 1972 | 12.8% | -34.2% |
| 1973 | 11.8% | -8.1% |
| 1974 | 5.1% | -56.9% |
| 1975 | 5.2% | +2.0% |
| 1976 | 4.5% | -13.4% |
| 1977 | 5.7% | +26.6% |
| 1978 | 7.5% | +33.0% |
| 1979 | 3.6% | -52.4% |
| 1981 | 2.2% | -39.2% |
| 1983 | 3.8% | +73.1% |
| 1984 | 2.7% | -27.6% |
| 1985 | 2.2% | -20.3% |
| 1986 | 5.1% | +134.9% |
| 1987 | 3.1% | -38.7% |
| 1996 | 1.7% | -47.3% |
| 1997 | 0.2% | -90.8% |
| 1998 | 0.4% | +172.7% |
| 1999 | 0.3% | -27.2% |
| 2000 | 0.1% | -54.2% |
| 2001 | 0.0% | -88.7% |
| 2002 | 0.6% | +3974.5% |
| 2003 | 0.0% | -96.3% |
| 2006 | 0.1% | +134.9% |
| 2007 | 1.6% | +2830.8% |
| 2008 | 1.3% | -20.6% |
| 2009 | 4.5% | +252.0% |
| 2010 | 3.3% | -26.4% |
| 2011 | 1.8% | -46.2% |
| 2012 | 5.4% | +198.2% |
| 2013 | 5.1% | -5.7% |
| 2014 | 1.9% | -62.9% |
| 2015 | 2.9% | +54.6% |
| 2016 | 2.0% | -32.1% |
| 2017 | 1.8% | -6.8% |
| 2018 | 2.0% | +8.3% |
| 2019 | 1.8% | -9.3% |
| 2020 | 3.0% | +65.9% |
| 2021 | 3.3% | +10.0% |
| 2022 | 2.8% | -16.0% |
| 2023 | 3.8% | +37.4% |
| 2024 | 6.0% | +58.5% |
| 2025 | 6.4% | +7.4% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 6.4% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 21.6%, 30% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 6.4% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 27.6%, 23% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Food exports (% of merchandise exports) in Nigeria 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | +3974.5% | 0.0% | 0.6% |
| 2007 | +2830.8% | 0.1% | 1.6% |
| 2009 | +252.0% | 1.3% | 4.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 55.7% | 42.1% | 64.5% | 8 |
| 1970s | 10.7% | 3.6% | 31.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.2% | 2.2% | 5.1% | 6 |
| 1990s | 0.6% | 0.2% | 1.7% | 4 |
| 2000s | 1.0% | 0.0% | 4.5% | 8 |
| 2010s | 2.8% | 1.8% | 5.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.2% | 2.8% | 6.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
More private sector data for Nigeria
- Merchandise trade 33.3% (2025)
- Food imports 12.3% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 52.5% (2025)
- Merchandise imports 41.45 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service imports 18.94 billion current US$ (2025)
- Manufactures exports 6.1% (2025)
- Merchandise exports 55.47 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service exports 4.55 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 233.52 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1907 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is food exports in Nigeria?
- Food exports in Nigeria was 6.4% in 2025, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest food exports recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 64.5% in 1962.
- What is the lowest food exports recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 2001.
- How does Nigeria rank for food exports?
- Nigeria ranks 152nd out of 196 countries with data for 2025.
- Is food exports rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 122.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Nigeria 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 — 52 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.