Food exports in North America
North America: Food exports was 10.3% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Food exports in North America, 1962–2024
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise exports.
Analysis
In 2024, food exports in North America stood at 10.3%.
That represents a change of up 0.8% on the previous year and down 1.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, food exports in North America peaked at 21.8% in 1964 and was at its lowest, 7.2%, in 2000.
That places North America 32nd out of 46 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 62 years of available data.
Food exports in North America, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise exports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | 20.6% | — |
| 1963 | 21.5% | +4.6% |
| 1964 | 21.8% | +1.2% |
| 1965 | 21.0% | -3.4% |
| 1966 | 21.1% | +0.2% |
| 1967 | 18.1% | -13.9% |
| 1968 | 16.0% | -11.9% |
| 1969 | 14.1% | -11.9% |
| 1970 | 15.2% | +7.9% |
| 1971 | 15.6% | +3.0% |
| 1972 | 16.8% | +7.2% |
| 1973 | 21.6% | +28.7% |
| 1974 | 19.4% | -10.0% |
| 1975 | 18.4% | -5.4% |
| 1976 | 17.7% | -3.6% |
| 1977 | 17.2% | -2.8% |
| 1978 | 18.1% | +5.4% |
| 1979 | 17.3% | -4.8% |
| 1980 | 17.0% | -1.7% |
| 1981 | 17.3% | +1.8% |
| 1982 | 16.3% | -5.5% |
| 1983 | 16.7% | +2.4% |
| 1984 | 15.6% | -6.9% |
| 1985 | 12.6% | -19.1% |
| 1986 | 11.9% | -5.6% |
| 1987 | 11.2% | -5.9% |
| 1989 | 10.9% | -2.2% |
| 1990 | 10.5% | -3.5% |
| 1991 | 10.1% | -4.2% |
| 1992 | 10.5% | +4.3% |
| 1993 | 9.9% | -5.8% |
| 1994 | 9.6% | -3.1% |
| 1995 | 9.9% | +2.8% |
| 1996 | 10.1% | +2.3% |
| 1997 | 8.9% | -12.6% |
| 1998 | 8.2% | -7.0% |
| 1999 | 7.7% | -6.8% |
| 2000 | 7.2% | -6.4% |
| 2001 | 7.9% | +9.8% |
| 2002 | 8.0% | +1.7% |
| 2003 | 8.4% | +4.5% |
| 2004 | 7.9% | -5.7% |
| 2005 | 7.4% | -6.5% |
| 2006 | 7.2% | -2.2% |
| 2007 | 8.1% | +12.2% |
| 2008 | 9.3% | +14.7% |
| 2009 | 10.3% | +11.1% |
| 2010 | 9.8% | -5.5% |
| 2011 | 9.9% | +1.0% |
| 2012 | 10.0% | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 10.1% | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 10.4% | +3.7% |
| 2015 | 10.5% | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 11.1% | +6.0% |
| 2017 | 10.6% | -4.3% |
| 2018 | 9.9% | -6.3% |
| 2019 | 9.7% | -2.2% |
| 2020 | 12.0% | +23.8% |
| 2021 | 11.5% | -4.2% |
| 2022 | 10.6% | -8.2% |
| 2023 | 10.2% | -3.3% |
| 2024 | 10.3% | +0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 19.3% | 14.1% | 21.8% | 8 |
| 1970s | 17.7% | 15.2% | 21.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 14.4% | 10.9% | 17.3% | 9 |
| 1990s | 9.6% | 7.7% | 10.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 8.2% | 7.2% | 10.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.2% | 9.7% | 11.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.9% | 10.2% | 12.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near North America
More private sector data for North America
- Merchandise trade 20.6% (2025)
- Food imports 7.3% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 77.9% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 4.09 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Manufactures exports 52.8% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 2.74 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 7,145 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.0828 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 4.2 % change on previous year (2025)
- Merchandise imports (current US$), per capita 10,652 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is food exports in North America?
- Food exports in North America was 10.3% in 2024, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest food exports recorded in North America?
- The highest recorded value was 21.8% in 1964.
- What is the lowest food exports recorded in North America?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.2% in 2000.
- How does North America rank for food exports?
- North America ranks 32nd out of 46 groups with data for 2024.
- Is food exports rising or falling in North America?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this North America 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.