Food imports in Lower middle income
Lower middle income: Food imports was 9.8% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Food imports in Lower middle income, 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 Lower middle income is 9.8%, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of down 7.1% on the previous year and down 0.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, food imports in Lower middle income peaked at 27.5% in 1967 and was at its lowest, 7.3%, in 1993.
That places Lower middle income 24th 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 56 years of available data.
Food imports in Lower middle income, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | 18.1% | — |
| 1963 | 16.5% | -8.5% |
| 1964 | 17.9% | +8.1% |
| 1965 | 20.9% | +16.7% |
| 1966 | 26.9% | +28.9% |
| 1967 | 27.5% | +2.4% |
| 1968 | 22.6% | -18.0% |
| 1969 | 19.8% | -12.2% |
| 1970 | 19.3% | -2.7% |
| 1971 | 16.7% | -13.7% |
| 1972 | 14.8% | -11.3% |
| 1973 | 20.2% | +36.9% |
| 1974 | 20.8% | +2.6% |
| 1975 | 26.2% | +26.1% |
| 1976 | 22.0% | -15.8% |
| 1977 | 15.9% | -27.7% |
| 1978 | 15.4% | -3.4% |
| 1979 | 13.5% | -12.5% |
| 1980 | 13.6% | +1.2% |
| 1981 | 13.8% | +1.3% |
| 1983 | 15.1% | +9.6% |
| 1984 | 15.0% | -0.9% |
| 1985 | 13.8% | -7.6% |
| 1986 | 12.3% | -11.2% |
| 1987 | 12.3% | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 7.3% | -40.5% |
| 1995 | 10.7% | +46.5% |
| 1996 | 11.2% | +4.9% |
| 1997 | 11.4% | +1.8% |
| 1998 | 12.6% | +10.2% |
| 1999 | 12.0% | -4.9% |
| 2000 | 10.9% | -9.4% |
| 2001 | 11.5% | +5.4% |
| 2002 | 11.7% | +2.2% |
| 2003 | 11.5% | -2.0% |
| 2004 | 9.9% | -13.4% |
| 2005 | 8.5% | -13.9% |
| 2006 | 8.8% | +2.8% |
| 2007 | 9.7% | +10.9% |
| 2008 | 8.8% | -9.2% |
| 2009 | 9.9% | +12.3% |
| 2010 | 9.5% | -4.0% |
| 2011 | 11.0% | +15.5% |
| 2012 | 10.3% | -6.3% |
| 2013 | 9.7% | -6.5% |
| 2014 | 9.9% | +2.8% |
| 2015 | 10.4% | +5.1% |
| 2016 | 11.2% | +7.4% |
| 2017 | 11.4% | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 9.6% | -15.6% |
| 2019 | 9.7% | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 12.0% | +23.4% |
| 2021 | 11.2% | -6.7% |
| 2022 | 10.4% | -6.9% |
| 2023 | 10.6% | +1.4% |
| 2024 | 9.8% | -7.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 21.3% | 16.5% | 27.5% | 8 |
| 1970s | 18.5% | 13.5% | 26.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 13.7% | 12.3% | 15.1% | 7 |
| 1990s | 10.9% | 7.3% | 12.6% | 6 |
| 2000s | 10.1% | 8.5% | 11.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.3% | 9.5% | 11.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.8% | 9.8% | 12.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Lower middle income
- 21 Saint Lucia 27.6% compare
- 22 Tonga 27.5% compare
- 23 Afghanistan 26.9% compare
- 24 Guinea 26.6% compare
- 25 Tajikistan 26.5% compare
- 26 Seychelles 26.1% compare
- 27 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 26.0% compare
More private sector data for Lower middle income
- Merchandise trade 35.7% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 51.4% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 1.56 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 14.8% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 50.0% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 1.06 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 358.3 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1444 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 5.93 % change on previous year (2025)
- Merchandise imports (current US$), per capita 531.07 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is food imports in Lower middle income?
- Food imports in Lower middle income was 9.8% in 2024, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest food imports recorded in Lower middle income?
- The highest recorded value was 27.5% in 1967.
- What is the lowest food imports recorded in Lower middle income?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.3% in 1993.
- How does Lower middle income rank for food imports?
- Lower middle income ranks 24th out of 47 groups with data for 2024.
- Is food imports rising or falling in Lower middle income?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Lower middle 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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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.