Food imports in Cameroon
Cameroon: Food imports was 21.7% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Food imports in Cameroon, 1962–2023
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise imports.
Analysis
Cameroon recorded 21.7% for food imports in 2023.
The figure is down 11.4% on the previous year and down 2.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, food imports in Cameroon peaked at 26.8% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 8.6%, in 1980.
Cameroon ranks 45th of 196 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 52 years of available data.
Food imports in Cameroon, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | 18.5% | — |
| 1963 | 14.3% | -23.1% |
| 1964 | 14.8% | +4.0% |
| 1965 | 12.5% | -15.8% |
| 1966 | 11.9% | -4.7% |
| 1967 | 12.2% | +2.2% |
| 1968 | 14.6% | +19.6% |
| 1969 | 11.9% | -18.2% |
| 1970 | 19.7% | +65.4% |
| 1971 | 13.5% | -31.3% |
| 1972 | 12.1% | -11.0% |
| 1973 | 12.9% | +7.1% |
| 1974 | 14.1% | +8.8% |
| 1975 | 11.0% | -22.1% |
| 1976 | 9.8% | -10.4% |
| 1977 | 12.1% | +23.6% |
| 1978 | 9.6% | -21.2% |
| 1979 | 9.9% | +4.0% |
| 1980 | 8.6% | -13.4% |
| 1982 | 9.7% | +12.7% |
| 1986 | 15.4% | +58.8% |
| 1987 | 14.7% | -4.8% |
| 1990 | 18.5% | +26.3% |
| 1995 | 17.4% | -5.9% |
| 1996 | 13.7% | -21.3% |
| 1997 | 15.7% | +14.2% |
| 1998 | 15.4% | -1.6% |
| 1999 | 18.9% | +22.8% |
| 2000 | 18.2% | -4.1% |
| 2001 | 15.5% | -14.8% |
| 2002 | 18.1% | +16.8% |
| 2003 | 17.6% | -2.5% |
| 2004 | 18.3% | +4.0% |
| 2005 | 17.3% | -5.3% |
| 2006 | 18.0% | +3.5% |
| 2007 | 21.3% | +18.9% |
| 2008 | 23.8% | +11.4% |
| 2009 | 26.8% | +12.8% |
| 2010 | 17.7% | -34.0% |
| 2011 | 25.1% | +41.8% |
| 2012 | 19.4% | -22.8% |
| 2013 | 22.3% | +14.9% |
| 2014 | 17.4% | -21.9% |
| 2015 | 19.9% | +14.2% |
| 2016 | 21.9% | +10.4% |
| 2017 | 22.8% | +3.9% |
| 2018 | 20.0% | -12.2% |
| 2019 | 20.4% | +1.7% |
| 2020 | 22.6% | +10.9% |
| 2021 | 22.3% | -1.2% |
| 2022 | 24.5% | +10.0% |
| 2023 | 21.7% | -11.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 13.8% | 11.9% | 18.5% | 8 |
| 1970s | 12.5% | 9.6% | 19.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 12.1% | 8.6% | 15.4% | 4 |
| 1990s | 16.6% | 13.7% | 18.9% | 6 |
| 2000s | 19.5% | 15.5% | 26.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 20.7% | 17.4% | 25.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 22.8% | 21.7% | 24.5% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Cameroon
More private sector data for Cameroon
- Merchandise trade 24.6% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 51.6% (2023)
- Merchandise imports 9.40 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 22.8% (2023)
- Manufactures exports 6.0% (2023)
- Merchandise exports 5.10 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 170.69 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.0865 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate -4.92 % change on previous year (2025)
- Merchandise imports (current US$), per capita 314.6 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is food imports in Cameroon?
- Food imports in Cameroon was 21.7% in 2023, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest food imports recorded in Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 26.8% in 2009.
- What is the lowest food imports recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.6% in 1980.
- How does Cameroon rank for food imports?
- Cameroon ranks 45th out of 196 countries with data for 2023.
- Is food imports rising or falling in Cameroon?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Cameroon 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.