Food imports (% of merchandise imports) in Haiti
Haiti: Food imports (% of merchandise imports) was 31.9% in 2017. ▲ Rising
Food imports in Haiti, 1970–2017
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise imports.
Analysis
In 2017, food imports in Haiti stood at 31.9%.
That represents a change of down 14.4% on the previous year and up 1.3% over five years.
Over the whole period, food imports in Haiti peaked at 37.3% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 20.8%, in 1970.
Haiti ranks 10th of 196 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 16 years of available data.
Food imports (% of merchandise imports) in Haiti, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 20.8% | — |
| 1971 | 24.1% | +15.8% |
| 1972 | 25.6% | +6.0% |
| 1973 | 24.9% | -2.5% |
| 1974 | 24.0% | -3.7% |
| 1975 | 28.7% | +19.6% |
| 1976 | 30.9% | +7.6% |
| 1977 | 27.8% | -9.9% |
| 1978 | 25.6% | -7.9% |
| 1979 | 23.6% | -8.0% |
| 1981 | 26.1% | +10.8% |
| 2013 | 31.5% | +20.6% |
| 2014 | 32.3% | +2.6% |
| 2015 | 33.3% | +3.1% |
| 2016 | 37.3% | +11.8% |
| 2017 | 31.9% | -14.4% |
Haiti compared with similar countries
- Haiti's 31.9% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 18.5%, 1.7× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Haiti's 31.9% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 19.0%, 1.7× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 25.6% | 20.8% | 30.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 26.1% | 26.1% | 26.1% | 1 |
| 2010s | 33.3% | 31.5% | 37.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Haiti
- 7 Benin 33.3% compare
- 8 Cape Verde 32.6% compare
- 9 Sierra Leone 32.3% compare
- 11 Sao Tome and Principe 31.8% compare
- 12 Equatorial Guinea 31.8% compare
- 13 Palestine 30.9% compare
More private sector data for Haiti
- Merchandise trade 16.2% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 54.9% (2017)
- Merchandise imports 4.63 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service imports 517.50 million current US$ (2024)
- Food exports 23.3% (2017)
- Manufactures exports 64.3% (2017)
- Merchandise exports 554.00 million current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service exports 87.21 million current US$ (2024)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 46.53 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.0173 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is food imports in Haiti?
- Food imports in Haiti was 31.9% in 2017, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest food imports recorded in Haiti?
- The highest recorded value was 37.3% in 2016.
- What is the lowest food imports recorded in Haiti?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.8% in 1970.
- How does Haiti rank for food imports?
- Haiti ranks 10th out of 196 countries with data for 2017.
- Where does this Haiti 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 — 16 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.