Food imports in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: Food imports was 13.8% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Food imports in Ethiopia, 1995–2023
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise imports.
Analysis
The most recent figure for food imports in Ethiopia is 13.8%, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 41.9% on the previous year and up 10.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, food imports in Ethiopia peaked at 28.2% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 2.4%, in 1997.
Ethiopia ranks 107th of 196 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 28 years of available data.
Food imports in Ethiopia, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 13.8% | — |
| 1997 | 2.4% | -82.4% |
| 1998 | 6.1% | +148.8% |
| 1999 | 9.4% | +54.9% |
| 2000 | 7.0% | -25.3% |
| 2001 | 14.5% | +107.6% |
| 2002 | 11.2% | -22.8% |
| 2003 | 24.2% | +115.1% |
| 2004 | 12.3% | -49.1% |
| 2005 | 10.6% | -13.9% |
| 2006 | 8.5% | -20.0% |
| 2007 | 7.0% | -17.2% |
| 2008 | 13.2% | +87.8% |
| 2009 | 10.9% | -17.5% |
| 2010 | 10.9% | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 14.4% | +32.1% |
| 2012 | 10.9% | -23.9% |
| 2013 | 12.5% | +14.5% |
| 2014 | 9.0% | -28.5% |
| 2015 | 9.8% | +9.1% |
| 2016 | 13.1% | +34.2% |
| 2017 | 12.4% | -5.6% |
| 2018 | 15.1% | +21.6% |
| 2019 | 12.2% | -19.0% |
| 2020 | 18.4% | +50.9% |
| 2021 | 28.2% | +53.1% |
| 2022 | 23.8% | -15.5% |
| 2023 | 13.8% | -41.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 7.9% | 2.4% | 13.8% | 4 |
| 2000s | 11.9% | 7.0% | 24.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.0% | 9.0% | 15.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 21.1% | 13.8% | 28.2% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ethiopia
More private sector data for Ethiopia
- Merchandise trade 24.2% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 69.2% (2023)
- Merchandise imports 23.01 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 80.4% (2023)
- Manufactures exports 9.2% (2023)
- Merchandise exports 7.58 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 55.99 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.06 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 38.61 % change on previous year (2025)
- Merchandise imports (current US$), per capita 169.87 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is food imports in Ethiopia?
- Food imports in Ethiopia was 13.8% in 2023, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest food imports recorded in Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 28.2% in 2021.
- What is the lowest food imports recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.4% in 1997.
- How does Ethiopia rank for food imports?
- Ethiopia ranks 107th out of 196 countries with data for 2023.
- Is food imports rising or falling in Ethiopia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ethiopia 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 — 28 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.