Food imports in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)
Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries): Food imports was 9.0% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Food imports in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries), 1962–2024
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise imports.
Analysis
The most recent figure for food imports in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) is 9.0%, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of up 20.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, food imports in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) peaked at 15.4% in 1983 and was at its lowest, 6.4%, in 2006.
That places Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) 30th out of 47 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 61 years of available data.
Food imports in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries), year by year
| Year | % of merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | 10.7% | — |
| 1963 | 11.6% | +7.9% |
| 1964 | 12.0% | +4.3% |
| 1965 | 10.8% | -10.2% |
| 1966 | 10.5% | -3.3% |
| 1967 | 10.2% | -2.3% |
| 1968 | 9.5% | -6.7% |
| 1969 | 9.0% | -5.4% |
| 1970 | 9.7% | +8.1% |
| 1971 | 9.2% | -5.5% |
| 1972 | 10.0% | +8.7% |
| 1973 | 12.4% | +24.4% |
| 1974 | 14.1% | +13.1% |
| 1975 | 11.3% | -19.8% |
| 1976 | 9.9% | -12.7% |
| 1977 | 11.1% | +12.1% |
| 1978 | 11.3% | +2.2% |
| 1979 | 10.8% | -4.4% |
| 1980 | 13.4% | +23.9% |
| 1981 | 11.8% | -12.2% |
| 1982 | 11.0% | -6.8% |
| 1983 | 15.4% | +40.7% |
| 1984 | 13.3% | -14.0% |
| 1985 | 11.1% | -16.4% |
| 1986 | 10.7% | -4.0% |
| 1987 | 9.8% | -7.8% |
| 1990 | 12.0% | +22.1% |
| 1991 | 10.3% | -14.4% |
| 1992 | 9.4% | -8.0% |
| 1993 | 9.0% | -4.4% |
| 1994 | 9.7% | +7.5% |
| 1995 | 8.7% | -9.9% |
| 1996 | 9.8% | +12.6% |
| 1997 | 8.4% | -14.4% |
| 1998 | 8.7% | +2.8% |
| 1999 | 8.2% | -5.3% |
| 2000 | 7.3% | -10.6% |
| 2001 | 7.8% | +6.3% |
| 2002 | 8.2% | +5.0% |
| 2003 | 8.5% | +3.7% |
| 2004 | 7.7% | -9.8% |
| 2005 | 6.9% | -10.2% |
| 2006 | 6.4% | -7.5% |
| 2007 | 7.0% | +10.2% |
| 2008 | 7.6% | +8.1% |
| 2009 | 8.2% | +8.2% |
| 2010 | 7.4% | -9.5% |
| 2011 | 7.6% | +2.8% |
| 2012 | 7.3% | -4.2% |
| 2013 | 7.5% | +2.5% |
| 2014 | 7.5% | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 7.4% | -1.0% |
| 2016 | 8.4% | +14.1% |
| 2017 | 8.0% | -4.8% |
| 2018 | 7.8% | -2.7% |
| 2019 | 7.9% | +1.7% |
| 2020 | 9.5% | +19.8% |
| 2021 | 8.8% | -7.2% |
| 2022 | 8.4% | -5.3% |
| 2023 | 9.0% | +7.8% |
| 2024 | 9.0% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 10.5% | 9.0% | 12.0% | 8 |
| 1970s | 11.0% | 9.2% | 14.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 12.0% | 9.8% | 15.4% | 8 |
| 1990s | 9.4% | 8.2% | 12.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.6% | 6.4% | 8.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.7% | 7.3% | 8.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.9% | 8.4% | 9.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)
- 27 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 26.0% compare
- 28 Saint Kitts and Nevis 25.4% compare
- 29 Turks and Caicos Islands 25.3% compare
- 30 Cuba 25.2% compare
- 31 Dominica 25.2% compare
- 32 Vanuatu 25.0% compare
- 33 Chad 24.3% compare
More private sector data for Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)
- Merchandise trade 44.2% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 73.2% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 1.57 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 19.7% (2025)
- Manufactures exports 56.4% (2025)
- Merchandise exports 1.55 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 2,373 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.2193 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 6.04 % change on previous year (2025)
- Merchandise imports (current US$), per capita 2,409 current US$ per person (2025)
All data for Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is food imports in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Food imports in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) was 9.0% in 2024, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest food imports recorded in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The highest recorded value was 15.4% in 1983.
- What is the lowest food imports recorded in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.4% in 2006.
- How does Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) rank for food imports?
- Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 30th out of 47 groups with data for 2024.
- Is food imports rising or falling in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) 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.