Food imports in Colombia
Colombia: Food imports was 13.7% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Food imports in Colombia, 1962–2024
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise imports.
Analysis
In 2024, food imports in Colombia stood at 13.7%.
The figure is down 4.7% on the previous year and up 44.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, food imports in Colombia peaked at 15.2% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 5.5%, in 1963.
Colombia ranks 108th of 196 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 60 years of available data.
Food imports in Colombia, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | 7.7% | — |
| 1963 | 5.5% | -28.2% |
| 1964 | 9.1% | +64.6% |
| 1965 | 8.3% | -7.8% |
| 1966 | 10.7% | +28.4% |
| 1967 | 7.4% | -31.4% |
| 1968 | 7.7% | +4.7% |
| 1969 | 8.0% | +3.4% |
| 1970 | 7.7% | -3.4% |
| 1971 | 10.3% | +34.0% |
| 1972 | 8.7% | -16.1% |
| 1973 | 12.1% | +39.7% |
| 1974 | 13.3% | +10.2% |
| 1975 | 9.4% | -29.3% |
| 1976 | 12.2% | +29.6% |
| 1977 | 12.4% | +1.9% |
| 1978 | 10.7% | -13.8% |
| 1979 | 10.5% | -1.7% |
| 1980 | 11.7% | +11.0% |
| 1981 | 10.2% | -12.8% |
| 1982 | 10.7% | +5.0% |
| 1983 | 10.9% | +1.7% |
| 1984 | 10.2% | -6.3% |
| 1985 | 9.5% | -7.2% |
| 1986 | 8.7% | -8.3% |
| 1987 | 8.0% | -8.6% |
| 1991 | 6.7% | -15.9% |
| 1992 | 9.3% | +39.2% |
| 1993 | 7.6% | -18.3% |
| 1994 | 8.8% | +16.2% |
| 1995 | 9.4% | +6.2% |
| 1996 | 12.6% | +33.9% |
| 1997 | 11.1% | -11.4% |
| 1998 | 11.8% | +6.0% |
| 1999 | 12.9% | +9.3% |
| 2000 | 11.9% | -7.5% |
| 2001 | 11.7% | -1.7% |
| 2002 | 12.2% | +3.6% |
| 2003 | 11.4% | -6.4% |
| 2004 | 10.6% | -6.9% |
| 2005 | 8.9% | -16.1% |
| 2006 | 8.9% | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 9.2% | +3.1% |
| 2008 | 10.1% | +10.7% |
| 2009 | 10.3% | +1.4% |
| 2010 | 9.7% | -5.6% |
| 2011 | 9.5% | -1.9% |
| 2012 | 10.3% | +8.5% |
| 2013 | 10.0% | -3.2% |
| 2014 | 9.5% | -4.8% |
| 2015 | 10.3% | +8.3% |
| 2016 | 13.0% | +26.7% |
| 2017 | 12.6% | -3.1% |
| 2018 | 12.5% | -0.8% |
| 2019 | 12.5% | -0.7% |
| 2020 | 15.2% | +21.9% |
| 2021 | 13.8% | -9.0% |
| 2022 | 13.6% | -1.3% |
| 2023 | 14.4% | +5.8% |
| 2024 | 13.7% | -4.7% |
Colombia compared with similar countries
- Colombia's 13.7% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 15.6%, 88% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
- Colombia's 13.7% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 18.4%, 75% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Food imports in Colombia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | +64.6% | 5.5% | 9.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 8.0% | 5.5% | 10.7% | 8 |
| 1970s | 10.7% | 7.7% | 13.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 10.0% | 8.0% | 11.7% | 8 |
| 1990s | 10.0% | 6.7% | 12.9% | 9 |
| 2000s | 10.5% | 8.9% | 12.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.0% | 9.5% | 13.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.2% | 13.6% | 15.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Colombia
More private sector data for Colombia
- Merchandise trade 26.4% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 72.9% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 70.50 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 18.1% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 21.4% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 50.09 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 937.49 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1095 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 1.05 % change on previous year (2025)
- Merchandise imports (current US$), per capita 1,320 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is food imports in Colombia?
- Food imports in Colombia was 13.7% in 2024, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest food imports recorded in Colombia?
- The highest recorded value was 15.2% in 2020.
- What is the lowest food imports recorded in Colombia?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.5% in 1963.
- How does Colombia rank for food imports?
- Colombia ranks 108th out of 196 countries with data for 2024.
- Is food imports rising or falling in Colombia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 44.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Colombia 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 — 60 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.