Food imports in East Asia & Pacific
East Asia & Pacific: Food imports was 7.4% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Food imports in East Asia & Pacific, 1984–2024
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise imports.
Analysis
The most recent figure for food imports in East Asia & Pacific is 7.4%, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.6% on the previous year and up 17.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, food imports in East Asia & Pacific peaked at 9.5% in 1984 and was at its lowest, 4.5%, in 2006.
That places East Asia & Pacific 44th out of 47 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 37 years of available data.
Food imports in East Asia & Pacific, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 9.5% | — |
| 1985 | 7.5% | -20.4% |
| 1986 | 8.2% | +8.4% |
| 1987 | 8.6% | +5.7% |
| 1992 | 7.3% | -15.8% |
| 1993 | 6.4% | -12.6% |
| 1994 | 7.0% | +9.2% |
| 1995 | 7.5% | +7.4% |
| 1996 | 7.2% | -4.0% |
| 1997 | 6.6% | -8.1% |
| 1998 | 6.8% | +3.0% |
| 1999 | 6.4% | -5.1% |
| 2000 | 5.7% | -12.1% |
| 2001 | 5.9% | +4.8% |
| 2002 | 5.8% | -1.9% |
| 2003 | 5.7% | -2.2% |
| 2004 | 5.4% | -4.8% |
| 2005 | 4.9% | -9.4% |
| 2006 | 4.5% | -7.4% |
| 2007 | 4.9% | +7.7% |
| 2008 | 5.3% | +9.2% |
| 2009 | 6.0% | +13.0% |
| 2010 | 5.7% | -5.0% |
| 2011 | 5.8% | +2.0% |
| 2012 | 6.0% | +2.7% |
| 2013 | 6.0% | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 6.3% | +5.4% |
| 2015 | 7.0% | +11.5% |
| 2016 | 7.4% | +4.8% |
| 2017 | 7.0% | -4.6% |
| 2018 | 6.7% | -4.9% |
| 2019 | 7.2% | +7.1% |
| 2020 | 8.0% | +11.2% |
| 2021 | 7.5% | -5.6% |
| 2022 | 7.5% | -0.9% |
| 2023 | 7.9% | +5.4% |
| 2024 | 7.4% | -5.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 8.5% | 7.5% | 9.5% | 4 |
| 1990s | 6.9% | 6.4% | 7.5% | 8 |
| 2000s | 5.4% | 4.5% | 6.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.5% | 5.7% | 7.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.7% | 7.4% | 8.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near East Asia & Pacific
More private sector data for East Asia & Pacific
- Merchandise trade 50.6% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 60.7% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 7.80 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 4.4% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 81.4% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 9.23 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 3,860 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.2742 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 9.24 % change on previous year (2025)
- Merchandise imports (current US$), per capita 3,261 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is food imports in East Asia & Pacific?
- Food imports in East Asia & Pacific was 7.4% in 2024, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest food imports recorded in East Asia & Pacific?
- The highest recorded value was 9.5% in 1984.
- What is the lowest food imports recorded in East Asia & Pacific?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.5% in 2006.
- How does East Asia & Pacific rank for food imports?
- East Asia & Pacific ranks 44th out of 47 groups with data for 2024.
- Is food imports rising or falling in East Asia & Pacific?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this East Asia & Pacific 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.