Food imports in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Food imports was 13.2% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Food imports in Bulgaria, 1992–2024
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise imports.
Analysis
In 2024, food imports in Bulgaria stood at 13.2%. That is the highest value across all 30 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 8.3% on the previous year and up 48.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, food imports in Bulgaria peaked at 13.2% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 4.6%, in 2006.
Bulgaria ranks 116th of 196 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 30 years of available data.
Food imports in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 7.7% | — |
| 1996 | 7.6% | -1.1% |
| 1997 | 8.5% | +11.6% |
| 1998 | 7.5% | -12.0% |
| 1999 | 6.0% | -20.0% |
| 2000 | 5.2% | -12.8% |
| 2001 | 5.4% | +3.4% |
| 2002 | 5.8% | +8.3% |
| 2003 | 5.4% | -8.2% |
| 2004 | 5.4% | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 4.7% | -13.6% |
| 2006 | 4.6% | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 5.8% | +24.1% |
| 2008 | 6.8% | +18.5% |
| 2009 | 10.0% | +46.3% |
| 2010 | 9.6% | -4.4% |
| 2011 | 9.3% | -2.9% |
| 2012 | 8.9% | -4.6% |
| 2013 | 9.1% | +2.6% |
| 2014 | 8.9% | -2.1% |
| 2015 | 9.7% | +9.0% |
| 2016 | 10.5% | +8.0% |
| 2017 | 10.0% | -4.2% |
| 2018 | 9.8% | -2.8% |
| 2019 | 10.6% | +8.8% |
| 2020 | 12.6% | +18.8% |
| 2021 | 10.9% | -13.3% |
| 2022 | 11.7% | +7.2% |
| 2023 | 12.2% | +4.2% |
| 2024 | 13.2% | +8.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 7.5% | 6.0% | 8.5% | 5 |
| 2000s | 5.9% | 4.6% | 10.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.6% | 8.9% | 10.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.1% | 10.9% | 13.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
- 113 Netherlands 13.3% compare
- 114 Costa Rica 13.2% compare
- 115 Namibia 13.2% compare
- 117 Lithuania 13.1% compare
- 118 Greece 13.1% compare
- 119 Bangladesh 13.0% compare
More private sector data for Bulgaria
- Merchandise trade 83.5% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 60.0% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 60.89 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 15.2% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 53.4% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 48.32 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 7,511 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.3695 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 0.8979 % change on previous year (2025)
- Merchandise imports (current US$), per capita 9,465 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is food imports in Bulgaria?
- Food imports in Bulgaria was 13.2% in 2024, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest food imports recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 13.2% in 2024.
- What is the lowest food imports recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.6% in 2006.
- How does Bulgaria rank for food imports?
- Bulgaria ranks 116th out of 196 countries with data for 2024.
- Is food imports rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 48.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bulgaria 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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CSV · JSON — 30 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 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.