Food imports in East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries)
East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries): Food imports was 8.5% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Food imports in East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries), 1984–2024
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise imports.
Analysis
In 2024, food imports in East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries) stood at 8.5%.
The figure is down 7.1% on the previous year and up 28.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, food imports in East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries) peaked at 9.1% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 3.7%, in 1993.
That places East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries) 39th out of 47 groups 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 East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries), year by year
| Year | % of merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 8.7% | — |
| 1985 | 5.2% | -40.1% |
| 1986 | 5.6% | +7.7% |
| 1987 | 7.5% | +33.4% |
| 1992 | 5.4% | -28.4% |
| 1993 | 3.7% | -31.4% |
| 1994 | 4.8% | +30.4% |
| 1995 | 6.7% | +39.6% |
| 1996 | 6.1% | -9.1% |
| 1997 | 5.4% | -11.9% |
| 1998 | 5.4% | +1.1% |
| 1999 | 5.2% | -4.4% |
| 2000 | 4.7% | -8.3% |
| 2001 | 4.9% | +2.4% |
| 2002 | 4.6% | -5.4% |
| 2003 | 4.8% | +4.0% |
| 2004 | 4.8% | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 4.3% | -9.8% |
| 2006 | 4.1% | -5.7% |
| 2007 | 4.6% | +13.9% |
| 2008 | 5.4% | +16.8% |
| 2009 | 5.9% | +8.1% |
| 2010 | 5.6% | -4.3% |
| 2011 | 5.7% | +2.4% |
| 2012 | 6.2% | +7.9% |
| 2013 | 6.2% | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 6.6% | +6.5% |
| 2015 | 7.3% | +10.8% |
| 2016 | 7.6% | +4.3% |
| 2017 | 7.3% | -4.5% |
| 2018 | 6.9% | -5.7% |
| 2019 | 7.5% | +9.5% |
| 2020 | 8.7% | +16.0% |
| 2021 | 8.5% | -1.9% |
| 2022 | 8.7% | +1.8% |
| 2023 | 9.1% | +5.0% |
| 2024 | 8.5% | -7.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 6.8% | 5.2% | 8.7% | 4 |
| 1990s | 5.3% | 3.7% | 6.7% | 8 |
| 2000s | 4.8% | 4.1% | 5.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.7% | 5.6% | 7.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.7% | 8.5% | 9.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries)
More private sector data for East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries)
- Merchandise trade 41.4% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 53.6% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 4.19 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 5.1% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 85.4% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 5.42 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 2,560 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.2334 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 7.69 % change on previous year (2025)
- Merchandise imports (current US$), per capita 1,977 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is food imports in East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Food imports in East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries) was 8.5% in 2024, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest food imports recorded in East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The highest recorded value was 9.1% in 2023.
- What is the lowest food imports recorded in East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.7% in 1993.
- How does East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries) rank for food imports?
- East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 39th out of 47 groups with data for 2024.
- Is food imports rising or falling in East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 28.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries) 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 — 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.