Food imports in China
China: Food imports was 8.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Food imports in China, 1984–2024
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise imports.
Analysis
China recorded 8.1% for food imports in 2024.
The figure is down 9.8% on the previous year and up 39.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, food imports in China peaked at 9.0% in 1984 and was at its lowest, 2.9%, in 1993.
That places China 171st out of 196 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 37 years of available data.
Food imports in China, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 9.0% | — |
| 1985 | 4.1% | -54.6% |
| 1986 | 4.4% | +7.2% |
| 1987 | 7.3% | +67.0% |
| 1992 | 4.9% | -33.3% |
| 1993 | 2.9% | -41.3% |
| 1994 | 4.4% | +53.1% |
| 1995 | 7.0% | +59.2% |
| 1996 | 5.9% | -15.6% |
| 1997 | 5.0% | -14.5% |
| 1998 | 4.8% | -5.5% |
| 1999 | 4.1% | -14.8% |
| 2000 | 4.1% | +2.0% |
| 2001 | 4.0% | -3.9% |
| 2002 | 3.5% | -11.4% |
| 2003 | 3.9% | +9.4% |
| 2004 | 4.0% | +4.6% |
| 2005 | 3.6% | -11.8% |
| 2006 | 3.2% | -10.5% |
| 2007 | 3.7% | +16.8% |
| 2008 | 4.8% | +27.8% |
| 2009 | 4.9% | +3.4% |
| 2010 | 4.6% | -6.2% |
| 2011 | 4.7% | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 5.4% | +16.2% |
| 2013 | 5.5% | +1.7% |
| 2014 | 5.8% | +5.8% |
| 2015 | 6.7% | +14.5% |
| 2016 | 6.8% | +2.0% |
| 2017 | 6.6% | -2.8% |
| 2018 | 6.2% | -6.3% |
| 2019 | 7.0% | +13.6% |
| 2020 | 8.2% | +16.8% |
| 2021 | 8.1% | -1.1% |
| 2022 | 8.5% | +4.8% |
| 2023 | 9.0% | +5.6% |
| 2024 | 8.1% | -9.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 6.2% | 4.1% | 9.0% | 4 |
| 1990s | 4.9% | 2.9% | 7.0% | 8 |
| 2000s | 4.0% | 3.2% | 4.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.9% | 4.6% | 7.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.4% | 8.1% | 9.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near China
More private sector data for China
- Merchandise trade 32.6% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 49.3% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 2.58 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 2.4% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 91.2% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 3.77 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 2,682 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1934 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 5.48 % change on previous year (2025)
- Merchandise imports (current US$), per capita 1,836 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is food imports in China?
- Food imports in China was 8.1% in 2024, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest food imports recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 9.0% in 1984.
- What is the lowest food imports recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.9% in 1993.
- How does China rank for food imports?
- China ranks 171st out of 196 countries with data for 2024.
- Is food imports rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 39.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this China 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 — 37 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.