Food imports in Bangladesh
Bangladesh: Food imports was 13.0% in 2018. ▼ Falling
Food imports in Bangladesh, 1977–2018
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise imports.
Analysis
Bangladesh recorded 13.0% for food imports in 2018. That is the lowest value across all 38 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 31.3% on the previous year and down 29.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, food imports in Bangladesh peaked at 29.0% in 1984 and was at its lowest, 13.0%, in 2018.
That places Bangladesh 119th out of 196 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 38 years of available data.
Food imports in Bangladesh, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | 17.6% | — |
| 1978 | 20.6% | +16.9% |
| 1979 | 25.3% | +22.9% |
| 1980 | 23.6% | -6.7% |
| 1981 | 20.2% | -14.6% |
| 1982 | 26.0% | +28.6% |
| 1983 | 20.0% | -23.1% |
| 1984 | 29.0% | +45.2% |
| 1985 | 24.3% | -16.3% |
| 1986 | 20.9% | -14.0% |
| 1987 | 24.2% | +15.9% |
| 1989 | 24.1% | -0.2% |
| 1990 | 19.0% | -21.5% |
| 1991 | 17.3% | -8.5% |
| 1992 | 18.3% | +5.3% |
| 1993 | 15.9% | -12.8% |
| 1995 | 17.3% | +8.6% |
| 1996 | 17.0% | -1.6% |
| 1997 | 16.9% | -1.0% |
| 1998 | 15.3% | -9.3% |
| 2000 | 16.5% | +7.8% |
| 2001 | 17.4% | +5.5% |
| 2002 | 14.6% | -16.0% |
| 2003 | 19.2% | +31.4% |
| 2004 | 15.6% | -18.7% |
| 2005 | 13.9% | -11.0% |
| 2006 | 16.7% | +20.2% |
| 2007 | 22.5% | +34.5% |
| 2008 | 18.3% | -18.4% |
| 2009 | 18.7% | +1.9% |
| 2010 | 17.4% | -6.7% |
| 2011 | 19.5% | +11.9% |
| 2012 | 14.5% | -25.8% |
| 2013 | 16.9% | +16.6% |
| 2015 | 16.6% | -1.8% |
| 2016 | 15.2% | -8.0% |
| 2017 | 18.9% | +24.2% |
| 2018 | 13.0% | -31.3% |
Bangladesh compared with similar countries
- Bangladesh's 13.0% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 18.4%, 71% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Bangladesh's 13.0% is below the median for South Asia, which is 14.1%, 92% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 21.2% | 17.6% | 25.3% | 3 |
| 1980s | 23.6% | 20.0% | 29.0% | 9 |
| 1990s | 17.1% | 15.3% | 19.0% | 8 |
| 2000s | 17.3% | 13.9% | 22.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 16.5% | 13.0% | 19.5% | 8 |
Countries ranked near Bangladesh
- 116 Bulgaria 13.2% compare
- 117 Lithuania 13.1% compare
- 118 Greece 13.1% compare
- 120 Saudi Arabia 13.0% compare
- 121 New Zealand 12.8% compare
- 122 Lao People's Democratic Republic 12.7% compare
More private sector data for Bangladesh
- Merchandise trade 25.8% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 67.0% (2018)
- Merchandise imports 69.37 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 3.4% (2018)
- Manufactures exports 94.5% (2018)
- Merchandise exports 48.17 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 274.16 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1056 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 1.95 % change on previous year (2025)
- Merchandise imports (current US$), per capita 394.87 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is food imports in Bangladesh?
- Food imports in Bangladesh was 13.0% in 2018, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest food imports recorded in Bangladesh?
- The highest recorded value was 29.0% in 1984.
- What is the lowest food imports recorded in Bangladesh?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.0% in 2018.
- How does Bangladesh rank for food imports?
- Bangladesh ranks 119th out of 196 countries with data for 2018.
- Is food imports rising or falling in Bangladesh?
- Over the last ten years it is down 29.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Bangladesh 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.