Food imports (% of merchandise imports) in El Salvador
El Salvador: Food imports (% of merchandise imports) was 20.0% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Food imports in El Salvador, 1963–2025
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise imports.
Analysis
The most recent figure for food imports in El Salvador is 20.0%, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 0.1% on the previous year and up 15.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, food imports in El Salvador peaked at 21.8% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 10.3%, in 1977.
El Salvador ranks 64th of 196 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 57 years of available data.
Food imports (% of merchandise imports) in El Salvador, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1963 | 16.4% | — |
| 1964 | 14.8% | -10.0% |
| 1965 | 15.7% | +5.9% |
| 1966 | 16.3% | +4.2% |
| 1967 | 14.8% | -9.6% |
| 1968 | 17.6% | +19.4% |
| 1969 | 15.4% | -12.4% |
| 1970 | 13.9% | -10.0% |
| 1971 | 12.6% | -9.7% |
| 1972 | 10.6% | -15.3% |
| 1973 | 12.2% | +14.2% |
| 1974 | 10.3% | -14.9% |
| 1975 | 12.2% | +17.7% |
| 1976 | 11.2% | -8.1% |
| 1977 | 10.3% | -7.8% |
| 1978 | 11.5% | +11.7% |
| 1979 | 12.8% | +11.1% |
| 1980 | 17.7% | +38.6% |
| 1981 | 16.5% | -7.0% |
| 1982 | 17.9% | +8.5% |
| 1983 | 17.0% | -5.0% |
| 1984 | 13.0% | -23.7% |
| 1985 | 15.5% | +19.6% |
| 1986 | 12.6% | -19.1% |
| 1987 | 14.4% | +15.0% |
| 1994 | 15.1% | +4.7% |
| 1995 | 14.8% | -2.3% |
| 1996 | 17.0% | +15.1% |
| 1997 | 16.8% | -1.0% |
| 1998 | 16.5% | -2.1% |
| 1999 | 18.5% | +12.6% |
| 2000 | 12.4% | -33.3% |
| 2001 | 12.8% | +3.5% |
| 2002 | 13.5% | +5.4% |
| 2003 | 13.5% | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 13.7% | +1.5% |
| 2005 | 13.7% | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 13.6% | -1.2% |
| 2007 | 14.4% | +6.0% |
| 2008 | 15.0% | +4.4% |
| 2009 | 18.9% | +25.8% |
| 2010 | 16.7% | -11.6% |
| 2011 | 16.9% | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 16.2% | -4.1% |
| 2013 | 15.3% | -5.3% |
| 2014 | 16.4% | +7.0% |
| 2015 | 17.3% | +5.3% |
| 2016 | 18.4% | +6.4% |
| 2017 | 17.0% | -7.6% |
| 2018 | 17.0% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 18.5% | +8.9% |
| 2020 | 21.8% | +17.9% |
| 2021 | 16.8% | -23.0% |
| 2022 | 17.6% | +5.1% |
| 2023 | 19.9% | +12.9% |
| 2024 | 20.0% | +0.6% |
| 2025 | 20.0% | -0.1% |
El Salvador compared with similar countries
- El Salvador's 20.0% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 15.4%, 1.3× the median. (56 countries reporting)
- El Salvador's 20.0% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 19.0%, 1.1× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 15.9% | 14.8% | 17.6% | 7 |
| 1970s | 11.8% | 10.3% | 13.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 15.6% | 12.6% | 17.9% | 8 |
| 1990s | 16.4% | 14.8% | 18.5% | 6 |
| 2000s | 14.1% | 12.4% | 18.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 16.9% | 15.3% | 18.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 19.3% | 16.8% | 21.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near El Salvador
More private sector data for El Salvador
- Merchandise trade 66.1% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 63.0% (2025)
- Merchandise imports 17.85 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service imports 3.89 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 23.7% (2025)
- Manufactures exports 69.4% (2025)
- Merchandise exports 6.43 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service exports 6.07 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 1,010 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1751 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is food imports in El Salvador?
- Food imports in El Salvador was 20.0% in 2025, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest food imports recorded in El Salvador?
- The highest recorded value was 21.8% in 2020.
- What is the lowest food imports recorded in El Salvador?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.3% in 1977.
- How does El Salvador rank for food imports?
- El Salvador ranks 64th out of 196 countries with data for 2025.
- Is food imports rising or falling in El Salvador?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this El Salvador 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.