Food imports in Japan
Japan: Food imports was 9.8% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Food imports in Japan, 1962–2025
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise imports.
Analysis
The most recent figure for food imports in Japan is 9.8%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.6% on the previous year and down 2.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, food imports in Japan peaked at 22.7% in 1965 and was at its lowest, 8.5%, in 2014.
Japan ranks 157th of 196 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 64 years of available data.
Food imports in Japan, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | 17.3% | — |
| 1963 | 20.8% | +19.8% |
| 1964 | 21.6% | +4.2% |
| 1965 | 22.7% | +4.9% |
| 1966 | 22.6% | -0.6% |
| 1967 | 19.5% | -13.7% |
| 1968 | 18.1% | -7.1% |
| 1969 | 17.5% | -3.3% |
| 1970 | 16.9% | -3.2% |
| 1971 | 18.2% | +7.5% |
| 1972 | 18.5% | +2.0% |
| 1973 | 18.9% | +2.0% |
| 1974 | 15.6% | -17.6% |
| 1975 | 17.9% | +14.8% |
| 1976 | 16.8% | -6.3% |
| 1977 | 16.8% | +0.4% |
| 1978 | 16.8% | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 15.1% | -10.4% |
| 1980 | 12.0% | -20.2% |
| 1981 | 13.0% | +7.6% |
| 1982 | 12.7% | -1.8% |
| 1983 | 13.7% | +7.6% |
| 1984 | 13.9% | +1.2% |
| 1985 | 13.9% | +0.4% |
| 1986 | 17.6% | +26.3% |
| 1987 | 16.6% | -5.4% |
| 1988 | 16.9% | +1.5% |
| 1989 | 15.9% | -6.0% |
| 1990 | 14.5% | -8.3% |
| 1991 | 15.5% | +6.9% |
| 1992 | 17.1% | +9.9% |
| 1993 | 17.4% | +1.9% |
| 1994 | 18.0% | +3.5% |
| 1995 | 16.1% | -10.8% |
| 1996 | 15.5% | -3.6% |
| 1997 | 14.6% | -5.4% |
| 1998 | 15.9% | +8.3% |
| 1999 | 15.1% | -4.5% |
| 2000 | 12.8% | -15.5% |
| 2001 | 13.1% | +2.1% |
| 2002 | 13.3% | +1.4% |
| 2003 | 12.3% | -7.2% |
| 2004 | 11.6% | -5.9% |
| 2005 | 10.4% | -10.2% |
| 2006 | 9.0% | -13.3% |
| 2007 | 8.9% | -1.2% |
| 2008 | 8.7% | -2.6% |
| 2009 | 10.5% | +20.7% |
| 2010 | 9.2% | -11.7% |
| 2011 | 9.2% | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 8.9% | -3.6% |
| 2013 | 8.6% | -3.3% |
| 2014 | 8.5% | -1.5% |
| 2015 | 10.0% | +18.3% |
| 2016 | 10.3% | +3.1% |
| 2017 | 10.0% | -2.9% |
| 2018 | 9.4% | -6.2% |
| 2019 | 9.8% | +4.2% |
| 2020 | 10.6% | +7.8% |
| 2021 | 9.5% | -10.2% |
| 2022 | 8.9% | -6.5% |
| 2023 | 9.7% | +9.0% |
| 2024 | 9.5% | -1.7% |
| 2025 | 9.8% | +2.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 20.0% | 17.3% | 22.7% | 8 |
| 1970s | 17.2% | 15.1% | 18.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 14.6% | 12.0% | 17.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 16.0% | 14.5% | 18.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.0% | 8.7% | 13.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.4% | 8.5% | 10.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.7% | 8.9% | 10.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More private sector data for Japan
- Merchandise trade 33.7% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 59.9% (2025)
- Merchandise imports 755.55 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 1.3% (2025)
- Manufactures exports 80.6% (2025)
- Merchandise exports 738.34 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 5,985 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1665 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 4.43 % change on previous year (2025)
- Merchandise imports (current US$), per capita 6,124 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is food imports in Japan?
- Food imports in Japan was 9.8% in 2025, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest food imports recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 22.7% in 1965.
- What is the lowest food imports recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.5% in 2014.
- How does Japan rank for food imports?
- Japan ranks 157th out of 196 countries with data for 2025.
- Is food imports rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Japan 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 — 64 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.