Food imports (% of merchandise imports) in Barbados
Barbados: Food imports (% of merchandise imports) was 22.4% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Food imports in Barbados, 1967–2025
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise imports.
Analysis
The most recent figure for food imports in Barbados is 22.4%, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of down 1.4% on the previous year and up 4.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, food imports in Barbados peaked at 27.7% in 1967 and was at its lowest, 14.5%, in 1984.
That places Barbados 47th out of 196 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
Food imports (% of merchandise imports) in Barbados, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1967 | 27.7% | — |
| 1968 | 26.5% | -4.2% |
| 1969 | 25.1% | -5.2% |
| 1970 | 24.5% | -2.4% |
| 1971 | 25.6% | +4.3% |
| 1972 | 27.0% | +5.6% |
| 1973 | 27.7% | +2.5% |
| 1974 | 26.5% | -4.4% |
| 1975 | 25.3% | -4.5% |
| 1976 | 24.6% | -2.7% |
| 1977 | 22.9% | -7.0% |
| 1978 | 23.0% | +0.4% |
| 1979 | 19.3% | -15.8% |
| 1980 | 17.9% | -7.3% |
| 1981 | 17.5% | -2.5% |
| 1982 | 17.0% | -2.6% |
| 1983 | 14.9% | -12.5% |
| 1984 | 14.5% | -2.9% |
| 1985 | 15.0% | +3.7% |
| 1986 | 15.6% | +4.0% |
| 1987 | 19.4% | +24.4% |
| 1992 | 21.6% | +11.5% |
| 1993 | 19.9% | -8.1% |
| 1994 | 20.6% | +3.4% |
| 1995 | 18.3% | -11.2% |
| 1996 | 17.7% | -3.2% |
| 1997 | 17.7% | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 16.7% | -5.4% |
| 1999 | 16.3% | -2.5% |
| 2000 | 15.4% | -5.5% |
| 2001 | 17.2% | +11.2% |
| 2002 | 18.9% | +10.0% |
| 2003 | 17.0% | -9.7% |
| 2004 | 20.1% | +17.9% |
| 2005 | 15.1% | -24.9% |
| 2006 | 15.3% | +1.5% |
| 2007 | 20.4% | +32.9% |
| 2008 | 19.0% | -6.9% |
| 2009 | 20.6% | +8.9% |
| 2010 | 24.9% | +20.7% |
| 2011 | 18.6% | -25.4% |
| 2012 | 19.0% | +2.2% |
| 2013 | 19.6% | +3.3% |
| 2014 | 19.7% | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 21.5% | +8.9% |
| 2016 | 21.1% | -1.6% |
| 2017 | 22.0% | +3.8% |
| 2018 | 22.6% | +3.0% |
| 2019 | 23.0% | +1.6% |
| 2020 | 23.1% | +0.5% |
| 2021 | 21.9% | -5.3% |
| 2022 | 21.6% | -1.2% |
| 2023 | 22.1% | +2.5% |
| 2024 | 22.7% | +2.6% |
| 2025 | 22.4% | -1.4% |
Barbados compared with similar countries
- Barbados's 22.4% is above the median for high income countries, which is 12.9%, 1.7× the median. (71 countries reporting)
- Barbados's 22.4% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 19.0%, 1.2× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 26.4% | 25.1% | 27.7% | 3 |
| 1970s | 24.6% | 19.3% | 27.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 16.5% | 14.5% | 19.4% | 8 |
| 1990s | 18.6% | 16.3% | 21.6% | 8 |
| 2000s | 17.9% | 15.1% | 20.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 21.2% | 18.6% | 24.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 22.3% | 21.6% | 23.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Barbados
- 44 Cote d'Ivoire 22.7% compare
- 45 Somalia 22.4% compare
- 46 Rwanda 22.4% compare
- 48 Mauritius 22.4% compare
- 49 Mozambique 22.2% compare
- 50 Solomon Islands 22.2% compare
More private sector data for Barbados
- Merchandise trade 33.1% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 58.9% (2025)
- Merchandise imports 2.23 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service imports 670.92 million current US$ (2017)
- Food exports 43.7% (2025)
- Manufactures exports 41.2% (2025)
- Merchandise exports 428.00 million current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service exports 1.50 billion current US$ (2017)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 1,514 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.0534 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is food imports in Barbados?
- Food imports in Barbados was 22.4% in 2025, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest food imports recorded in Barbados?
- The highest recorded value was 27.7% in 1967.
- What is the lowest food imports recorded in Barbados?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.5% in 1984.
- How does Barbados rank for food imports?
- Barbados ranks 47th out of 196 countries with data for 2025.
- Is food imports rising or falling in Barbados?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Barbados 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.