Food imports (% of merchandise imports) in Jamaica
Jamaica: Food imports (% of merchandise imports) was 22.2% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Food imports in Jamaica, 1962–2025
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise imports.
Analysis
In 2025, food imports in Jamaica stood at 22.2%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.8% on the previous year and up 23.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, food imports in Jamaica peaked at 23.9% in 1963 and was at its lowest, 12.2%, in 2008.
That places Jamaica 51st out of 196 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 53 years of available data.
Food imports (% of merchandise imports) in Jamaica, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | 23.0% | — |
| 1963 | 23.9% | +3.5% |
| 1972 | 21.2% | -11.1% |
| 1973 | 22.6% | +6.5% |
| 1974 | 23.1% | +2.6% |
| 1975 | 20.2% | -12.8% |
| 1976 | 23.2% | +15.0% |
| 1977 | 19.9% | -14.1% |
| 1978 | 22.6% | +13.3% |
| 1979 | 16.8% | -25.6% |
| 1980 | 20.3% | +21.0% |
| 1981 | 18.6% | -8.2% |
| 1982 | 19.2% | +3.2% |
| 1983 | 17.1% | -11.3% |
| 1984 | 20.0% | +17.0% |
| 1985 | 17.8% | -10.7% |
| 1986 | 20.4% | +14.4% |
| 1987 | 18.1% | -11.5% |
| 1991 | 14.4% | -20.5% |
| 1992 | 14.8% | +3.0% |
| 1993 | 14.0% | -5.2% |
| 1994 | 14.0% | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 14.3% | +2.4% |
| 1996 | 14.6% | +2.0% |
| 1997 | 16.7% | +14.5% |
| 1998 | 18.2% | +9.0% |
| 1999 | 17.5% | -4.1% |
| 2000 | 15.5% | -11.3% |
| 2001 | 15.4% | -0.8% |
| 2002 | 15.2% | -1.1% |
| 2003 | 15.1% | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 15.1% | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 14.7% | -3.2% |
| 2006 | 14.4% | -1.9% |
| 2007 | 12.7% | -11.7% |
| 2008 | 12.2% | -3.7% |
| 2009 | 18.1% | +48.2% |
| 2010 | 17.7% | -2.5% |
| 2011 | 16.7% | -5.3% |
| 2012 | 16.6% | -0.8% |
| 2013 | 17.4% | +4.9% |
| 2014 | 17.6% | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 18.0% | +2.3% |
| 2016 | 18.6% | +3.4% |
| 2017 | 16.7% | -10.2% |
| 2018 | 16.4% | -1.7% |
| 2019 | 18.0% | +9.3% |
| 2020 | 21.5% | +19.8% |
| 2021 | 21.0% | -2.6% |
| 2022 | 20.6% | -1.9% |
| 2023 | 20.5% | -0.3% |
| 2024 | 21.4% | +4.2% |
| 2025 | 22.2% | +3.8% |
Jamaica compared with similar countries
- Jamaica's 22.2% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 15.4%, 1.4× the median. (56 countries reporting)
- Jamaica's 22.2% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 19.0%, 1.2× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Food imports (% of merchandise imports) in Jamaica 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | +48.2% | 12.2% | 18.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 23.4% | 23.0% | 23.9% | 2 |
| 1970s | 21.2% | 16.8% | 23.2% | 8 |
| 1980s | 18.9% | 17.1% | 20.4% | 8 |
| 1990s | 15.4% | 14.0% | 18.2% | 9 |
| 2000s | 14.9% | 12.2% | 18.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 17.4% | 16.4% | 18.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 21.2% | 20.5% | 22.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Jamaica
More private sector data for Jamaica
- Merchandise trade 41.3% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 53.3% (2025)
- Merchandise imports 7.68 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service imports 3.55 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 29.5% (2025)
- Manufactures exports 3.9% (2025)
- Merchandise exports 1.69 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service exports 5.03 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 595.33 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.0744 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is food imports in Jamaica?
- Food imports in Jamaica was 22.2% in 2025, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest food imports recorded in Jamaica?
- The highest recorded value was 23.9% in 1963.
- What is the lowest food imports recorded in Jamaica?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.2% in 2008.
- How does Jamaica rank for food imports?
- Jamaica ranks 51st out of 196 countries with data for 2025.
- Is food imports rising or falling in Jamaica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 23.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Jamaica 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 — 53 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.