Food imports in Eswatini
Eswatini: Food imports was 19.6% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Food imports in Eswatini, 2000–2023
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise imports.
Analysis
The most recent figure for food imports in Eswatini is 19.6%, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.9% on the previous year and up 27.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, food imports in Eswatini peaked at 20.6% in 2007 and was at its lowest, 15.4%, in 2013.
Eswatini ranks 65th of 196 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Food imports in Eswatini, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 18.7% | — |
| 2001 | 17.3% | -7.6% |
| 2002 | 17.6% | +2.0% |
| 2003 | 16.4% | -7.0% |
| 2004 | 16.4% | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 16.8% | +2.2% |
| 2006 | 15.6% | -7.5% |
| 2007 | 20.6% | +32.2% |
| 2008 | 19.6% | -4.8% |
| 2009 | 19.1% | -2.2% |
| 2010 | 19.7% | +3.1% |
| 2011 | 17.1% | -13.6% |
| 2012 | 19.1% | +11.8% |
| 2013 | 15.4% | -19.2% |
| 2014 | 17.2% | +11.5% |
| 2015 | 17.7% | +3.1% |
| 2016 | 18.7% | +5.4% |
| 2017 | 18.5% | -1.2% |
| 2018 | 18.8% | +1.8% |
| 2019 | 18.3% | -2.8% |
| 2020 | 20.4% | +11.5% |
| 2021 | 18.6% | -8.7% |
| 2022 | 19.2% | +3.2% |
| 2023 | 19.6% | +1.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 17.8% | 15.6% | 20.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 18.1% | 15.4% | 19.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 19.5% | 18.6% | 20.4% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Eswatini
More private sector data for Eswatini
- Merchandise trade 86.4% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 58.1% (2023)
- Merchandise imports 2.09 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 29.7% (2023)
- Manufactures exports 59.8% (2023)
- Merchandise exports 2.37 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 1,887 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.4592 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 1.85 % change on previous year (2025)
- Merchandise imports (current US$), per capita 1,664 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is food imports in Eswatini?
- Food imports in Eswatini was 19.6% in 2023, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest food imports recorded in Eswatini?
- The highest recorded value was 20.6% in 2007.
- What is the lowest food imports recorded in Eswatini?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.4% in 2013.
- How does Eswatini rank for food imports?
- Eswatini ranks 65th out of 196 countries with data for 2023.
- Is food imports rising or falling in Eswatini?
- Over the last ten years it is up 27.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Eswatini 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 — 24 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.