Food imports (% of merchandise imports) in Ireland
Ireland: Food imports (% of merchandise imports) was 9.3% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Food imports in Ireland, 1963–2025
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise imports.
Analysis
Ireland recorded 9.3% for food imports in 2025.
That represents a change of down 1.5% on the previous year and down 16.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, food imports in Ireland peaked at 19.1% in 1965 and was at its lowest, 6.3%, in 2000.
That places Ireland 166th out of 196 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Food imports (% of merchandise imports) in Ireland, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1963 | 19.0% | — |
| 1964 | 17.9% | -6.0% |
| 1965 | 19.1% | +6.8% |
| 1966 | 18.4% | -3.7% |
| 1967 | 17.6% | -4.3% |
| 1968 | 16.9% | -4.2% |
| 1969 | 14.6% | -13.7% |
| 1970 | 14.2% | -2.4% |
| 1971 | 12.7% | -10.7% |
| 1972 | 13.6% | +7.4% |
| 1973 | 13.8% | +1.0% |
| 1974 | 12.9% | -6.1% |
| 1975 | 13.9% | +7.7% |
| 1976 | 13.0% | -7.0% |
| 1977 | 13.5% | +4.4% |
| 1978 | 12.3% | -9.1% |
| 1979 | 12.1% | -1.7% |
| 1980 | 12.1% | +0.4% |
| 1981 | 13.1% | +8.2% |
| 1982 | 12.7% | -3.4% |
| 1983 | 13.0% | +2.5% |
| 1984 | 12.1% | -7.0% |
| 1985 | 12.3% | +2.0% |
| 1986 | 13.0% | +5.9% |
| 1987 | 12.4% | -5.2% |
| 1988 | 12.4% | +0.1% |
| 1989 | 11.0% | -11.2% |
| 1990 | 10.6% | -3.6% |
| 1991 | 11.4% | +7.3% |
| 1992 | 11.6% | +2.5% |
| 1993 | 10.0% | -14.5% |
| 1994 | 9.8% | -1.9% |
| 1995 | 8.5% | -13.2% |
| 1996 | 8.3% | -1.8% |
| 1997 | 7.8% | -5.8% |
| 1998 | 7.2% | -8.2% |
| 1999 | 7.2% | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 6.3% | -13.0% |
| 2001 | 6.8% | +8.3% |
| 2002 | 7.3% | +6.8% |
| 2003 | 8.3% | +13.6% |
| 2004 | 7.9% | -3.9% |
| 2005 | 7.9% | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 8.3% | +5.3% |
| 2007 | 8.4% | +1.0% |
| 2008 | 9.6% | +13.6% |
| 2009 | 11.0% | +15.4% |
| 2010 | 11.4% | +3.0% |
| 2011 | 11.3% | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 11.8% | +4.4% |
| 2013 | 12.7% | +7.1% |
| 2014 | 11.6% | -8.3% |
| 2015 | 11.1% | -4.5% |
| 2016 | 10.5% | -5.3% |
| 2017 | 10.1% | -3.6% |
| 2018 | 9.9% | -2.7% |
| 2019 | 10.0% | +1.7% |
| 2020 | 10.8% | +7.6% |
| 2021 | 8.6% | -20.1% |
| 2022 | 8.1% | -6.5% |
| 2023 | 8.6% | +6.0% |
| 2024 | 9.4% | +10.1% |
| 2025 | 9.3% | -1.5% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 9.3% is below the median for high income countries, which is 12.9%, 72% of the median. (71 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 9.3% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 12.4%, 75% of the median. (50 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 17.6% | 14.6% | 19.1% | 7 |
| 1970s | 13.2% | 12.1% | 14.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 12.4% | 11.0% | 13.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 9.2% | 7.2% | 11.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 8.2% | 6.3% | 11.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.0% | 9.9% | 12.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.1% | 8.1% | 10.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More private sector data for Ireland
- Merchandise trade 62.7% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 83.9% (2025)
- Merchandise imports 159.22 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service imports 526.22 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 7.4% (2025)
- Manufactures exports 91.4% (2025)
- Merchandise exports 293.42 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service exports 547.62 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 53,501 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.4066 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is food imports in Ireland?
- Food imports in Ireland was 9.3% in 2025, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest food imports recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 19.1% in 1965.
- What is the lowest food imports recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.3% in 2000.
- How does Ireland rank for food imports?
- Ireland ranks 166th out of 196 countries with data for 2025.
- Is food imports rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ireland 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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CSV · JSON — 63 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.