Food imports in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD): Food imports was 18.5% in 2019. ▼ Falling
Food imports in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD), 1966–2019
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise imports.
Analysis
In 2019, food imports in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) stood at 18.5%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.3% on the previous year and up 24.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, food imports in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) peaked at 27.1% in 1974 and was at its lowest, 12.9%, in 2006.
That places Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) 3rd out of 47 groups with data for 2019, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Food imports in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD), year by year
| Year | % of merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1966 | 22.6% | — |
| 1967 | 26.8% | +18.4% |
| 1968 | 22.5% | -15.9% |
| 1969 | 17.6% | -22.0% |
| 1970 | 19.4% | +10.6% |
| 1971 | 21.6% | +11.0% |
| 1972 | 22.6% | +4.9% |
| 1973 | 22.8% | +0.7% |
| 1974 | 27.1% | +19.1% |
| 1975 | 24.0% | -11.7% |
| 1976 | 19.0% | -20.9% |
| 1977 | 17.7% | -6.5% |
| 1997 | 22.4% | +26.5% |
| 1998 | 20.2% | -9.8% |
| 1999 | 19.9% | -1.9% |
| 2000 | 16.7% | -15.7% |
| 2001 | 16.1% | -3.5% |
| 2002 | 15.7% | -2.8% |
| 2003 | 16.9% | +7.6% |
| 2004 | 15.7% | -6.9% |
| 2005 | 14.3% | -8.8% |
| 2006 | 12.9% | -10.0% |
| 2007 | 16.2% | +25.8% |
| 2008 | 14.0% | -14.0% |
| 2009 | 14.9% | +6.8% |
| 2010 | 15.4% | +3.1% |
| 2011 | 17.4% | +13.2% |
| 2012 | 16.5% | -4.8% |
| 2013 | 16.7% | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 16.1% | -3.6% |
| 2015 | 17.7% | +9.7% |
| 2016 | 18.2% | +2.7% |
| 2017 | 18.1% | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 17.9% | -1.1% |
| 2019 | 18.5% | +3.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 22.4% | 17.6% | 26.8% | 4 |
| 1970s | 21.8% | 17.7% | 27.1% | 8 |
| 1990s | 20.8% | 19.9% | 22.4% | 3 |
| 2000s | 15.3% | 12.9% | 16.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 17.3% | 15.4% | 18.5% | 10 |
Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)
More private sector data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)
- Merchandise trade 49.0% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 57.9% (2019)
- Merchandise imports 572.64 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 10.2% (2017)
- Manufactures exports 36.9% (2017)
- Merchandise exports 464.75 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 620.91 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.2197 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 1.11 % change on previous year (2025)
- Merchandise imports (current US$), per capita 765.06 current US$ per person (2025)
All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is food imports in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
- Food imports in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) was 18.5% in 2019, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest food imports recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
- The highest recorded value was 27.1% in 1974.
- What is the lowest food imports recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.9% in 2006.
- How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) rank for food imports?
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) ranks 3rd out of 47 groups with data for 2019.
- Is food imports rising or falling in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 24.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) 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.