Food imports (% of merchandise imports) in Argentina
Argentina: Food imports (% of merchandise imports) was 7.8% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Food imports in Argentina, 1962–2025
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise imports.
Analysis
Argentina recorded 7.8% for food imports in 2025.
That represents a change of down 14.0% on the previous year and up 195.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, food imports in Argentina peaked at 10.7% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 2.3%, in 2013.
That places Argentina 174th out of 196 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 60 years of available data.
Food imports (% of merchandise imports) in Argentina, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | 3.9% | — |
| 1963 | 4.1% | +6.2% |
| 1964 | 5.9% | +42.8% |
| 1965 | 6.5% | +10.2% |
| 1966 | 6.7% | +2.3% |
| 1967 | 6.6% | -1.1% |
| 1968 | 5.5% | -16.3% |
| 1969 | 6.8% | +23.8% |
| 1970 | 5.8% | -14.6% |
| 1971 | 5.0% | -13.3% |
| 1972 | 6.5% | +28.0% |
| 1973 | 9.2% | +43.0% |
| 1974 | 4.8% | -48.5% |
| 1975 | 4.6% | -4.2% |
| 1976 | 4.8% | +4.3% |
| 1977 | 5.3% | +11.1% |
| 1978 | 5.7% | +7.1% |
| 1979 | 7.1% | +26.2% |
| 1980 | 5.7% | -20.6% |
| 1981 | 5.0% | -12.0% |
| 1982 | 4.4% | -11.7% |
| 1983 | 3.9% | -12.3% |
| 1984 | 4.5% | +16.8% |
| 1985 | 4.7% | +4.5% |
| 1986 | 6.9% | +46.1% |
| 1987 | 4.6% | -33.8% |
| 1992 | 6.0% | +31.0% |
| 1993 | 5.4% | -8.9% |
| 1994 | 5.2% | -4.7% |
| 1995 | 5.5% | +5.3% |
| 1996 | 4.9% | -9.9% |
| 1997 | 5.3% | +8.0% |
| 1998 | 4.9% | -7.3% |
| 1999 | 4.9% | -0.3% |
| 2000 | 5.0% | +1.9% |
| 2001 | 5.7% | +14.2% |
| 2002 | 4.6% | -19.1% |
| 2003 | 4.2% | -9.3% |
| 2004 | 3.3% | -21.4% |
| 2005 | 2.8% | -14.1% |
| 2006 | 2.6% | -9.0% |
| 2007 | 3.7% | +43.2% |
| 2008 | 4.5% | +22.7% |
| 2009 | 3.8% | -17.0% |
| 2010 | 2.6% | -30.5% |
| 2011 | 2.4% | -8.6% |
| 2012 | 2.5% | +3.9% |
| 2013 | 2.3% | -8.4% |
| 2014 | 2.4% | +6.1% |
| 2015 | 2.6% | +9.1% |
| 2016 | 3.6% | +37.2% |
| 2017 | 4.2% | +15.2% |
| 2018 | 6.9% | +64.3% |
| 2019 | 6.5% | -5.5% |
| 2020 | 8.8% | +35.1% |
| 2021 | 7.5% | -14.1% |
| 2022 | 5.9% | -21.6% |
| 2023 | 10.7% | +80.6% |
| 2024 | 9.1% | -14.9% |
| 2025 | 7.8% | -14.0% |
Argentina compared with similar countries
- Argentina's 7.8% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 15.4%, 51% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
- Argentina's 7.8% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 19.0%, 41% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5.8% | 3.9% | 6.8% | 8 |
| 1970s | 5.9% | 4.6% | 9.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 5.0% | 3.9% | 6.9% | 8 |
| 1990s | 5.3% | 4.9% | 6.0% | 8 |
| 2000s | 4.0% | 2.6% | 5.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.6% | 2.3% | 6.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.3% | 5.9% | 10.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Argentina
More private sector data for Argentina
- Merchandise trade 23.8% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 83.4% (2025)
- Merchandise imports 75.79 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service imports 29.74 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 50.1% (2025)
- Manufactures exports 12.6% (2025)
- Merchandise exports 87.11 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service exports 18.10 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 1,900 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1275 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is food imports in Argentina?
- Food imports in Argentina was 7.8% in 2025, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest food imports recorded in Argentina?
- The highest recorded value was 10.7% in 2023.
- What is the lowest food imports recorded in Argentina?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.3% in 2013.
- How does Argentina rank for food imports?
- Argentina ranks 174th out of 196 countries with data for 2025.
- Is food imports rising or falling in Argentina?
- Over the last ten years it is up 195.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Argentina data come from?
- The figures come from Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division, published as part of Food imports (% of merchandise imports). 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 imports which is comprised of goods whose economic ownership is changed between a non-resident and a 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.