Food imports in Italy
Italy: Food imports was 11.2% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Food imports in Italy, 1962–2024
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise imports.
Analysis
Italy recorded 11.2% for food imports in 2024.
The figure is up 6.1% on the previous year and up 3.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, food imports in Italy peaked at 24.5% in 1965 and was at its lowest, 8.1%, in 2006.
That places Italy 138th out of 196 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Food imports in Italy, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | 16.9% | — |
| 1963 | 20.8% | +23.1% |
| 1964 | 21.0% | +0.6% |
| 1965 | 24.5% | +16.6% |
| 1966 | 23.6% | -3.6% |
| 1967 | 21.5% | -8.9% |
| 1968 | 21.4% | -0.5% |
| 1969 | 20.1% | -6.0% |
| 1970 | 19.0% | -5.1% |
| 1971 | 21.7% | +14.1% |
| 1972 | 22.6% | +4.1% |
| 1973 | 22.5% | -0.3% |
| 1974 | 17.1% | -24.2% |
| 1975 | 19.4% | +13.3% |
| 1976 | 17.2% | -11.1% |
| 1977 | 17.6% | +2.2% |
| 1978 | 17.5% | -0.6% |
| 1979 | 15.8% | -9.6% |
| 1980 | 13.1% | -17.0% |
| 1981 | 12.3% | -6.3% |
| 1982 | 13.9% | +13.1% |
| 1983 | 14.4% | +3.5% |
| 1984 | 13.1% | -9.3% |
| 1985 | 14.3% | +9.3% |
| 1986 | 15.1% | +5.5% |
| 1987 | 14.6% | -3.3% |
| 1988 | 13.4% | -7.7% |
| 1989 | 12.8% | -4.8% |
| 1990 | 12.0% | -6.3% |
| 1991 | 12.9% | +8.0% |
| 1992 | 12.6% | -2.9% |
| 1993 | 13.1% | +4.1% |
| 1994 | 12.4% | -5.1% |
| 1995 | 11.5% | -7.8% |
| 1996 | 11.6% | +0.9% |
| 1997 | 10.8% | -6.3% |
| 1998 | 10.6% | -2.6% |
| 1999 | 10.1% | -4.8% |
| 2000 | 8.5% | -15.6% |
| 2001 | 8.7% | +3.0% |
| 2002 | 9.1% | +3.5% |
| 2003 | 9.4% | +3.4% |
| 2004 | 9.0% | -4.1% |
| 2005 | 8.6% | -4.2% |
| 2006 | 8.1% | -5.5% |
| 2007 | 8.4% | +3.7% |
| 2008 | 8.7% | +2.9% |
| 2009 | 10.5% | +21.0% |
| 2010 | 9.1% | -13.2% |
| 2011 | 9.2% | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 9.6% | +5.0% |
| 2013 | 10.4% | +8.1% |
| 2014 | 10.9% | +4.4% |
| 2015 | 10.9% | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 11.1% | +1.8% |
| 2017 | 10.7% | -3.7% |
| 2018 | 9.9% | -7.0% |
| 2019 | 10.2% | +2.5% |
| 2020 | 11.1% | +9.3% |
| 2021 | 9.7% | -12.4% |
| 2022 | 9.0% | -8.1% |
| 2023 | 10.6% | +18.1% |
| 2024 | 11.2% | +6.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 21.2% | 16.9% | 24.5% | 8 |
| 1970s | 19.1% | 15.8% | 22.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 13.7% | 12.3% | 15.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 11.8% | 10.1% | 13.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 8.9% | 8.1% | 10.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.2% | 9.1% | 11.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.3% | 9.0% | 11.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Italy
More private sector data for Italy
- Merchandise trade 54.7% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 66.1% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 668.67 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 11.2% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 79.2% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 726.50 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 12,331 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.2847 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 7.87 % change on previous year (2025)
- Merchandise imports (current US$), per capita 11,350 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is food imports in Italy?
- Food imports in Italy was 11.2% in 2024, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest food imports recorded in Italy?
- The highest recorded value was 24.5% in 1965.
- What is the lowest food imports recorded in Italy?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.1% in 2006.
- How does Italy rank for food imports?
- Italy ranks 138th out of 196 countries with data for 2024.
- Is food imports rising or falling in Italy?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Italy 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 — 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.