Food imports in Nepal
Nepal: Food imports was 18.0% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Food imports in Nepal, 1974–2022
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise imports.
Analysis
Nepal recorded 18.0% for food imports in 2022.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 14.3% on the previous year and up 6.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, food imports in Nepal peaked at 22.8% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 2.9%, in 1975.
That places Nepal 77th out of 196 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
Food imports in Nepal, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | 9.8% | — |
| 1975 | 2.9% | -70.1% |
| 1976 | 6.1% | +107.4% |
| 1977 | 3.8% | -37.2% |
| 1978 | 7.9% | +106.0% |
| 1979 | 4.1% | -48.3% |
| 1980 | 4.3% | +6.5% |
| 1981 | 9.5% | +120.3% |
| 1982 | 10.7% | +11.9% |
| 1983 | 16.1% | +50.5% |
| 1984 | 14.6% | -9.0% |
| 1985 | 14.0% | -4.4% |
| 1986 | 13.9% | -0.4% |
| 1987 | 8.5% | -39.2% |
| 1994 | 10.7% | +26.7% |
| 1998 | 8.4% | -21.8% |
| 1999 | 15.7% | +87.6% |
| 2000 | 11.9% | -24.7% |
| 2003 | 17.3% | +45.7% |
| 2009 | 14.7% | -15.0% |
| 2010 | 13.7% | -7.1% |
| 2011 | 14.2% | +3.9% |
| 2012 | 16.8% | +18.8% |
| 2013 | 18.4% | +9.4% |
| 2014 | 17.9% | -2.7% |
| 2015 | 17.9% | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 18.2% | +1.8% |
| 2017 | 17.6% | -3.2% |
| 2018 | 15.2% | -13.8% |
| 2019 | 16.9% | +10.9% |
| 2020 | 22.8% | +35.2% |
| 2021 | 21.0% | -8.1% |
| 2022 | 18.0% | -14.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5.8% | 2.9% | 9.8% | 6 |
| 1980s | 11.5% | 4.3% | 16.1% | 8 |
| 1990s | 11.6% | 8.4% | 15.7% | 3 |
| 2000s | 14.6% | 11.9% | 17.3% | 3 |
| 2010s | 16.7% | 13.7% | 18.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 20.6% | 18.0% | 22.8% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Nepal
- 74 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 18.4% compare
- 75 Madagascar 18.4% compare
- 76 Bosnia and Herzegovina 18.2% compare
- 78 Latvia 17.9% compare
- 79 Togo 17.6% compare
- 80 Kuwait 17.5% compare
More private sector data for Nepal
- Merchandise trade 36.7% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 52.5% (2022)
- Merchandise imports 14.40 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 49.4% (2022)
- Manufactures exports 47.5% (2022)
- Merchandise exports 2.31 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 78.03 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.0508 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 75.61 % change on previous year (2025)
- Merchandise imports (current US$), per capita 486.09 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is food imports in Nepal?
- Food imports in Nepal was 18.0% in 2022, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest food imports recorded in Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was 22.8% in 2020.
- What is the lowest food imports recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.9% in 1975.
- How does Nepal rank for food imports?
- Nepal ranks 77th out of 196 countries with data for 2022.
- Is food imports rising or falling in Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nepal 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.