Food imports in Low income

Low income: Food imports was 17.6% in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
17.6%
Change on year
down 15.7%
Rank
4th
of 47 groups
All-time high
20.8%
in 2018
All-time low
13.3%
in 2007
Years of data
19
2001–2019

Food imports in Low income, 2001–2019

051015202001201020192001: 17.8 % of merchandise imports2002: 17.4 % of merchandise imports2003: 20.4 % of merchandise imports2004: 16.5 % of merchandise imports2005: 16.1 % of merchandise imports2006: 14 % of merchandise imports2007: 13.3 % of merchandise imports2008: 15.2 % of merchandise imports2009: 15.9 % of merchandise imports2010: 16.5 % of merchandise imports2011: 16.5 % of merchandise imports2012: 15.3 % of merchandise imports2013: 15.3 % of merchandise imports2014: 16.6 % of merchandise imports2015: 17.3 % of merchandise imports2016: 19.3 % of merchandise imports2017: 19 % of merchandise imports2018: 20.8 % of merchandise imports2019: 17.6 % of merchandise imports

Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise imports.

Analysis

Low income recorded 17.6% for food imports in 2019.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 15.7% on the previous year and up 10.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, food imports in Low income peaked at 20.8% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 13.3%, in 2007.

That places Low income 4th out of 47 groups with data for 2019, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 19 years of available data.

Food imports in Low income, year by year

Annual values for Food imports (% of merchandise imports) in Low income, 2001 to 2019.
Year % of merchandise imports Change
2001 17.8%
2002 17.4% -2.3%
2003 20.4% +17.5%
2004 16.5% -19.3%
2005 16.1% -2.1%
2006 14.0% -13.1%
2007 13.3% -5.2%
2008 15.2% +14.2%
2009 15.9% +4.9%
2010 16.5% +3.3%
2011 16.5% +0.5%
2012 15.3% -7.2%
2013 15.3% -0.0%
2014 16.6% +8.3%
2015 17.3% +4.4%
2016 19.3% +11.3%
2017 19.0% -1.7%
2018 20.8% +9.8%
2019 17.6% -15.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 16.3% 13.3% 20.4% 9
2010s 17.4% 15.3% 20.8% 10

Countries ranked near Low income

  1. 1 Comoros 42.1% compare
  2. 2 Guinea-Bissau 41.7% compare
  3. 3 Kiribati 41.4% compare
  4. 4 Yemen 39.1% compare
  5. 5 Djibouti 38.6% compare
  6. 6 Niger 37.9% compare
  7. 7 Haiti 37.3% compare

See the full ranking of 243 places →

More private sector data for Low income

All data for Low income →

Frequently asked questions

What is food imports in Low income?
Food imports in Low income was 17.6% in 2019, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
What is the highest food imports recorded in Low income?
The highest recorded value was 20.8% in 2018.
What is the lowest food imports recorded in Low income?
The lowest recorded value was 13.3% in 2007.
How does Low income rank for food imports?
Low income ranks 4th out of 47 groups with data for 2019.
Is food imports rising or falling in Low income?
Over the last ten years it is up 10.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Low income 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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Food imports in Low income. Statizoid, drawing on Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Retrieved 13 September 2026, from https://private-sector.statizoid.com/stat/food-imports-percent-of-merchandise-imports/low-income/

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About this data

Indicator
Food imports (% of merchandise imports)
Unit
% of merchandise imports
Source
Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
243 places, 9,994 data points, 1962–2025
Last refreshed

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.