Food imports (% of merchandise imports) in Canada
Canada: Food imports (% of merchandise imports) was 9.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Food imports in Canada, 1962–2025
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise imports.
Analysis
In 2025, food imports in Canada stood at 9.5%.
That represents a change of up 3.0% on the previous year and up 15.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, food imports in Canada peaked at 12.9% in 1963 and was at its lowest, 5.1%, in 2000.
Canada ranks 165th of 196 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 64 years of available data.
Food imports (% of merchandise imports) in Canada, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | 11.7% | — |
| 1963 | 12.9% | +10.8% |
| 1964 | 11.6% | -10.1% |
| 1965 | 9.8% | -15.5% |
| 1966 | 9.0% | -8.1% |
| 1967 | 8.6% | -4.3% |
| 1968 | 7.9% | -8.6% |
| 1969 | 8.0% | +1.4% |
| 1970 | 8.6% | +8.0% |
| 1971 | 7.9% | -8.3% |
| 1972 | 7.9% | -0.9% |
| 1973 | 8.9% | +13.9% |
| 1974 | 8.6% | -3.6% |
| 1975 | 8.3% | -3.7% |
| 1976 | 8.1% | -1.8% |
| 1977 | 8.4% | +2.7% |
| 1978 | 8.1% | -3.1% |
| 1979 | 7.3% | -10.1% |
| 1980 | 7.5% | +2.2% |
| 1981 | 7.0% | -5.7% |
| 1982 | 7.7% | +9.3% |
| 1983 | 7.0% | -8.8% |
| 1984 | 6.5% | -6.8% |
| 1985 | 5.9% | -9.0% |
| 1986 | 6.2% | +4.1% |
| 1987 | 6.0% | -2.2% |
| 1988 | 5.6% | -7.4% |
| 1989 | 5.7% | +2.5% |
| 1990 | 6.1% | +6.8% |
| 1991 | 6.4% | +4.1% |
| 1992 | 6.3% | -0.5% |
| 1993 | 6.3% | -1.3% |
| 1994 | 6.0% | -3.8% |
| 1995 | 5.7% | -5.4% |
| 1996 | 5.8% | +2.0% |
| 1997 | 5.5% | -4.9% |
| 1998 | 5.6% | +0.5% |
| 1999 | 5.3% | -4.4% |
| 2000 | 5.1% | -3.9% |
| 2001 | 5.8% | +14.1% |
| 2002 | 6.1% | +4.2% |
| 2003 | 6.2% | +2.3% |
| 2004 | 5.8% | -6.3% |
| 2005 | 5.6% | -3.1% |
| 2006 | 5.8% | +2.3% |
| 2007 | 6.2% | +7.1% |
| 2008 | 6.4% | +4.3% |
| 2009 | 7.9% | +23.0% |
| 2010 | 7.2% | -9.3% |
| 2011 | 7.1% | -1.0% |
| 2012 | 7.2% | +1.9% |
| 2013 | 7.5% | +3.0% |
| 2014 | 7.7% | +3.5% |
| 2015 | 8.2% | +6.0% |
| 2016 | 8.5% | +3.5% |
| 2017 | 8.2% | -3.1% |
| 2018 | 7.9% | -3.3% |
| 2019 | 8.2% | +3.3% |
| 2020 | 9.4% | +14.3% |
| 2021 | 8.7% | -7.2% |
| 2022 | 8.4% | -3.4% |
| 2023 | 8.5% | +0.7% |
| 2024 | 9.2% | +8.7% |
| 2025 | 9.5% | +3.0% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 9.5% is below the median for high income countries, which is 12.9%, 73% of the median. (71 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 9.9% | 7.9% | 12.9% | 8 |
| 1970s | 8.2% | 7.3% | 8.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.5% | 5.6% | 7.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.9% | 5.3% | 6.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.1% | 5.1% | 7.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.8% | 7.1% | 8.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.9% | 8.4% | 9.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More private sector data for Canada
- Merchandise trade 48.8% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 74.9% (2025)
- Merchandise imports 577.44 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service imports 168.75 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 13.6% (2025)
- Manufactures exports 40.3% (2025)
- Merchandise exports 554.68 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service exports 170.93 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 13,317 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.2391 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is food imports in Canada?
- Food imports in Canada was 9.5% in 2025, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest food imports recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 12.9% in 1963.
- What is the lowest food imports recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.1% in 2000.
- How does Canada rank for food imports?
- Canada ranks 165th out of 196 countries with data for 2025.
- Is food imports rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Canada 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 64 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.