Food imports (% of merchandise imports) in New Zealand
New Zealand: Food imports (% of merchandise imports) was 12.9% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Food imports in New Zealand, 1964–2025
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise imports.
Analysis
The most recent figure for food imports in New Zealand is 12.9%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.4% on the previous year and up 13.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, food imports in New Zealand peaked at 13.4% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 5.8%, in 1981.
New Zealand ranks 125th of 196 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 62 years of available data.
Food imports (% of merchandise imports) in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1964 | 8.9% | — |
| 1965 | 7.7% | -13.8% |
| 1966 | 6.6% | -13.6% |
| 1967 | 7.0% | +6.2% |
| 1968 | 7.4% | +5.8% |
| 1969 | 6.5% | -12.2% |
| 1970 | 6.9% | +5.8% |
| 1971 | 7.1% | +2.2% |
| 1972 | 7.2% | +1.9% |
| 1973 | 7.3% | +1.4% |
| 1974 | 7.1% | -3.1% |
| 1975 | 7.3% | +2.7% |
| 1976 | 6.2% | -14.1% |
| 1977 | 6.7% | +7.9% |
| 1978 | 7.0% | +4.4% |
| 1979 | 6.2% | -11.7% |
| 1980 | 6.0% | -3.6% |
| 1981 | 5.8% | -3.1% |
| 1982 | 6.7% | +16.1% |
| 1983 | 6.3% | -6.4% |
| 1984 | 6.5% | +3.2% |
| 1985 | 6.2% | -4.2% |
| 1986 | 6.5% | +4.0% |
| 1987 | 6.7% | +3.9% |
| 1988 | 7.7% | +14.7% |
| 1989 | 7.4% | -3.4% |
| 1990 | 6.8% | -9.0% |
| 1991 | 7.8% | +15.4% |
| 1992 | 7.3% | -7.1% |
| 1993 | 7.7% | +6.7% |
| 1994 | 7.5% | -3.0% |
| 1995 | 7.4% | -0.8% |
| 1996 | 7.6% | +2.1% |
| 1997 | 7.8% | +2.2% |
| 1998 | 9.2% | +18.4% |
| 1999 | 7.8% | -15.4% |
| 2000 | 7.7% | -0.8% |
| 2001 | 8.4% | +8.1% |
| 2002 | 8.6% | +2.4% |
| 2003 | 8.2% | -4.6% |
| 2004 | 7.6% | -7.0% |
| 2005 | 7.7% | +0.8% |
| 2006 | 8.1% | +5.8% |
| 2007 | 8.6% | +6.0% |
| 2008 | 9.4% | +9.1% |
| 2009 | 10.7% | +14.1% |
| 2010 | 10.6% | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 10.5% | -0.7% |
| 2012 | 10.6% | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 10.6% | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 10.8% | +1.2% |
| 2015 | 11.4% | +5.5% |
| 2016 | 11.4% | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 11.5% | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 11.3% | -1.7% |
| 2019 | 11.5% | +1.8% |
| 2020 | 13.4% | +16.4% |
| 2021 | 11.5% | -14.5% |
| 2022 | 11.1% | -3.6% |
| 2023 | 11.3% | +1.8% |
| 2024 | 12.5% | +10.7% |
| 2025 | 12.9% | +3.4% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 12.9% is below the median for high income countries, which is 12.9%, 100% of the median. (71 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 12.9% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 12.9%, 1.0× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 7.4% | 6.5% | 8.9% | 6 |
| 1970s | 6.9% | 6.2% | 7.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.6% | 5.8% | 7.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 7.7% | 6.8% | 9.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 8.5% | 7.6% | 10.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.0% | 10.5% | 11.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.1% | 11.1% | 13.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
More private sector data for New Zealand
- Merchandise trade 35.7% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 70.6% (2025)
- Merchandise imports 47.55 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service imports 20.29 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 68.8% (2025)
- Manufactures exports 14.0% (2025)
- Merchandise exports 46.70 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service exports 19.30 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 8,770 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1769 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is food imports in New Zealand?
- Food imports in New Zealand was 12.9% in 2025, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest food imports recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 13.4% in 2020.
- What is the lowest food imports recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.8% in 1981.
- How does New Zealand rank for food imports?
- New Zealand ranks 125th out of 196 countries with data for 2025.
- Is food imports rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this New Zealand 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 62 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
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.