Food imports (% of merchandise imports) in Early-demographic dividend
Early-demographic dividend: Food imports (% of merchandise imports) was 8.8% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Food imports in Early-demographic dividend, 1963–2025
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise imports.
Analysis
In 2025, food imports in Early-demographic dividend stood at 8.8%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 11.5% on the previous year and down 6.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, food imports in Early-demographic dividend peaked at 16.7% in 1975 and was at its lowest, 7.4%, in 2006.
That places Early-demographic dividend 31st out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 60 years of available data.
Food imports (% of merchandise imports) in Early-demographic dividend, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1963 | 12.8% | — |
| 1964 | 12.2% | -4.8% |
| 1965 | 13.7% | +12.4% |
| 1966 | 16.3% | +18.9% |
| 1967 | 15.2% | -7.1% |
| 1968 | 15.7% | +3.3% |
| 1969 | 13.8% | -11.7% |
| 1970 | 13.5% | -2.2% |
| 1971 | 11.2% | -17.1% |
| 1972 | 10.8% | -4.0% |
| 1973 | 13.9% | +28.8% |
| 1974 | 16.2% | +17.0% |
| 1975 | 16.7% | +3.0% |
| 1976 | 13.6% | -18.6% |
| 1977 | 12.3% | -9.8% |
| 1978 | 11.8% | -4.2% |
| 1979 | 10.8% | -8.3% |
| 1980 | 12.2% | +12.9% |
| 1981 | 11.4% | -6.2% |
| 1982 | 11.0% | -4.1% |
| 1983 | 13.0% | +18.4% |
| 1984 | 12.6% | -3.0% |
| 1985 | 11.4% | -9.3% |
| 1986 | 10.9% | -5.1% |
| 1987 | 11.2% | +3.5% |
| 1991 | 8.1% | -27.8% |
| 1992 | 8.7% | +6.7% |
| 1993 | 8.1% | -7.0% |
| 1994 | 9.4% | +16.2% |
| 1995 | 9.6% | +2.6% |
| 1996 | 10.2% | +6.0% |
| 1997 | 9.2% | -9.8% |
| 1998 | 10.1% | +9.6% |
| 1999 | 10.1% | +0.2% |
| 2000 | 9.2% | -9.4% |
| 2001 | 9.4% | +2.5% |
| 2002 | 9.5% | +1.2% |
| 2003 | 9.8% | +3.1% |
| 2004 | 8.9% | -9.3% |
| 2005 | 7.9% | -11.4% |
| 2006 | 7.4% | -6.5% |
| 2007 | 8.1% | +10.3% |
| 2008 | 8.4% | +3.4% |
| 2009 | 9.0% | +7.5% |
| 2010 | 8.8% | -2.3% |
| 2011 | 9.1% | +3.9% |
| 2012 | 8.5% | -6.7% |
| 2013 | 8.9% | +4.8% |
| 2014 | 9.1% | +2.2% |
| 2015 | 9.4% | +3.0% |
| 2016 | 10.2% | +8.9% |
| 2017 | 10.0% | -1.9% |
| 2018 | 9.3% | -7.8% |
| 2019 | 9.4% | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 10.7% | +14.2% |
| 2021 | 10.3% | -4.0% |
| 2022 | 9.9% | -3.1% |
| 2023 | 10.0% | +0.7% |
| 2024 | 10.0% | -0.5% |
| 2025 | 8.8% | -11.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 14.3% | 12.2% | 16.3% | 7 |
| 1970s | 13.1% | 10.8% | 16.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 11.7% | 10.9% | 13.0% | 8 |
| 1990s | 9.3% | 8.1% | 10.2% | 9 |
| 2000s | 8.7% | 7.4% | 9.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.3% | 8.5% | 10.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.9% | 8.8% | 10.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Early-demographic dividend
- 28 Iran 26.1% compare
- 29 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 26.0% compare
- 30 Saint Kitts and Nevis 25.4% compare
- 31 Turks and Caicos Islands 25.3% compare
- 32 Cuba 25.2% compare
- 33 Dominica 25.2% compare
- 34 Vanuatu 25.0% compare
More private sector data for Early-demographic dividend
- Merchandise trade 41.4% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 64.7% (2025)
- Merchandise imports 3.69 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service imports 920.16 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 13.6% (2025)
- Manufactures exports 58.1% (2025)
- Merchandise exports 3.12 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service exports 1.15 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 867.95 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1901 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is food imports in Early-demographic dividend?
- Food imports in Early-demographic dividend was 8.8% in 2025, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest food imports recorded in Early-demographic dividend?
- The highest recorded value was 16.7% in 1975.
- What is the lowest food imports recorded in Early-demographic dividend?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.4% in 2006.
- How does Early-demographic dividend rank for food imports?
- Early-demographic dividend ranks 31st out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is food imports rising or falling in Early-demographic dividend?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Early-demographic dividend 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.