Food imports (% of merchandise imports) in Iran
Iran: Food imports (% of merchandise imports) was 26.1% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Food imports in Iran, 1963–2023
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise imports.
Analysis
Iran recorded 26.1% for food imports in 2023.
That represents a change of down 11.4% on the previous year and down 3.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, food imports in Iran peaked at 30.9% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 1.9%, in 2006.
That places Iran 28th out of 196 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 38 years of available data.
Food imports (% of merchandise imports) in Iran, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1963 | 12.8% | — |
| 1964 | 16.2% | +26.5% |
| 1965 | 16.1% | -0.5% |
| 1966 | 9.9% | -38.5% |
| 1967 | 7.5% | -24.8% |
| 1968 | 8.0% | +7.8% |
| 1969 | 4.9% | -38.8% |
| 1970 | 6.5% | +33.2% |
| 1971 | 10.6% | +62.6% |
| 1972 | 10.5% | -0.9% |
| 1973 | 10.5% | -0.6% |
| 1974 | 18.4% | +75.3% |
| 1975 | 16.3% | -11.5% |
| 1976 | 11.1% | -31.8% |
| 1977 | 12.7% | +14.4% |
| 1997 | 20.9% | +64.5% |
| 1998 | 16.2% | -22.3% |
| 1999 | 20.4% | +26.1% |
| 2000 | 19.0% | -7.2% |
| 2001 | 16.1% | -15.3% |
| 2002 | 9.9% | -38.3% |
| 2003 | 10.5% | +5.8% |
| 2004 | 8.9% | -14.9% |
| 2005 | 7.9% | -11.6% |
| 2006 | 1.9% | -76.4% |
| 2010 | 15.2% | +717.9% |
| 2011 | 14.1% | -7.2% |
| 2013 | 27.1% | +91.8% |
| 2014 | 23.4% | -13.7% |
| 2015 | 22.4% | -4.2% |
| 2016 | 20.5% | -8.5% |
| 2017 | 20.2% | -1.5% |
| 2018 | 25.6% | +26.6% |
| 2019 | 28.1% | +9.8% |
| 2020 | 26.8% | -4.6% |
| 2021 | 30.9% | +15.6% |
| 2022 | 29.5% | -4.8% |
| 2023 | 26.1% | -11.4% |
Iran compared with similar countries
- Iran's 26.1% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 15.4%, 1.7× the median. (56 countries reporting)
- Iran's 26.1% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 16.0%, 1.6× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Food imports (% of merchandise imports) in Iran changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | +717.9% | 1.9% | 15.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 10.8% | 4.9% | 16.2% | 7 |
| 1970s | 12.1% | 6.5% | 18.4% | 8 |
| 1990s | 19.2% | 16.2% | 20.9% | 3 |
| 2000s | 10.6% | 1.9% | 19.0% | 7 |
| 2010s | 21.8% | 14.1% | 28.1% | 9 |
| 2020s | 28.3% | 26.1% | 30.9% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iran
- 25 Guinea 26.6% compare
- 26 Tajikistan 26.5% compare
- 27 Seychelles 26.1% compare
- 29 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 26.0% compare
- 30 Saint Kitts and Nevis 25.4% compare
- 31 Turks and Caicos Islands 25.3% compare
More private sector data for Iran
- Merchandise trade 49.3% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 57.5% (2023)
- Merchandise imports 65.63 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service imports 1.58 billion current US$ (2000)
- Food exports 5.6% (2023)
- Manufactures exports 21.4% (2023)
- Merchandise exports 113.22 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service exports 1.36 billion current US$ (2000)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 1,225 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.3122 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is food imports in Iran?
- Food imports in Iran was 26.1% in 2023, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest food imports recorded in Iran?
- The highest recorded value was 30.9% in 2021.
- What is the lowest food imports recorded in Iran?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.9% in 2006.
- How does Iran rank for food imports?
- Iran ranks 28th out of 196 countries with data for 2023.
- Is food imports rising or falling in Iran?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iran 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.