Food imports in Nicaragua
Nicaragua: Food imports was 16.6% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Food imports in Nicaragua, 1965–2024
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise imports.
Analysis
The most recent figure for food imports in Nicaragua is 16.6%, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of up 6.0% on the previous year and down 0.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, food imports in Nicaragua peaked at 21.6% in 1993 and was at its lowest, 7.7%, in 1977.
That places Nicaragua 85th out of 196 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 54 years of available data.
Food imports in Nicaragua, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 12.6% | — |
| 1966 | 10.6% | -15.6% |
| 1967 | 9.6% | -9.9% |
| 1968 | 11.2% | +16.3% |
| 1969 | 9.3% | -16.3% |
| 1970 | 9.8% | +5.1% |
| 1971 | 10.5% | +7.4% |
| 1972 | 11.7% | +10.9% |
| 1973 | 12.7% | +8.4% |
| 1974 | 8.0% | -37.2% |
| 1975 | 8.5% | +6.9% |
| 1976 | 8.8% | +3.7% |
| 1977 | 7.7% | -12.3% |
| 1978 | 10.0% | +29.2% |
| 1979 | 13.8% | +38.1% |
| 1980 | 15.4% | +11.7% |
| 1981 | 17.3% | +12.4% |
| 1982 | 12.2% | -29.4% |
| 1983 | 12.7% | +4.0% |
| 1984 | 13.6% | +6.9% |
| 1985 | 9.5% | -30.2% |
| 1986 | 12.1% | +27.0% |
| 1993 | 21.6% | +78.9% |
| 1994 | 19.5% | -9.6% |
| 1995 | 17.9% | -8.1% |
| 1996 | 18.7% | +4.1% |
| 1997 | 14.4% | -22.6% |
| 1998 | 17.6% | +22.1% |
| 1999 | 18.6% | +5.5% |
| 2000 | 15.9% | -14.7% |
| 2001 | 16.0% | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 15.0% | -6.2% |
| 2003 | 14.6% | -2.5% |
| 2004 | 13.4% | -8.5% |
| 2005 | 13.2% | -1.0% |
| 2006 | 11.6% | -12.0% |
| 2007 | 16.0% | +37.2% |
| 2008 | 13.9% | -13.1% |
| 2009 | 17.6% | +27.2% |
| 2010 | 16.4% | -7.3% |
| 2011 | 17.3% | +5.5% |
| 2012 | 15.1% | -12.3% |
| 2013 | 17.3% | +14.1% |
| 2014 | 16.7% | -3.4% |
| 2015 | 17.0% | +2.2% |
| 2016 | 14.1% | -17.4% |
| 2017 | 14.0% | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 14.4% | +2.4% |
| 2019 | 14.8% | +3.1% |
| 2020 | 16.6% | +12.0% |
| 2021 | 13.9% | -16.1% |
| 2022 | 14.7% | +5.6% |
| 2023 | 15.6% | +6.3% |
| 2024 | 16.6% | +6.0% |
Nicaragua compared with similar countries
- Nicaragua's 16.6% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 18.4%, 90% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Nicaragua's 16.6% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 18.4%, 90% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 10.7% | 9.3% | 12.6% | 5 |
| 1970s | 10.2% | 7.7% | 13.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 13.3% | 9.5% | 17.3% | 7 |
| 1990s | 18.3% | 14.4% | 21.6% | 7 |
| 2000s | 14.7% | 11.6% | 17.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 15.7% | 14.0% | 17.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.5% | 13.9% | 16.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Nicaragua
- 82 Dominican Republic 17.2% compare
- 83 Faroe Islands 17.1% compare
- 84 Albania 16.6% compare
- 86 Papua New Guinea 16.5% compare
- 87 Trinidad and Tobago 16.4% compare
- 88 Kenya 16.3% compare
More private sector data for Nicaragua
- Merchandise trade 95.9% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 68.6% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 12.43 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 42.6% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 37.0% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 8.89 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 1,269 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.3999 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 18.23 % change on previous year (2025)
- Merchandise imports (current US$), per capita 1,774 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is food imports in Nicaragua?
- Food imports in Nicaragua was 16.6% in 2024, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest food imports recorded in Nicaragua?
- The highest recorded value was 21.6% in 1993.
- What is the lowest food imports recorded in Nicaragua?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.7% in 1977.
- How does Nicaragua rank for food imports?
- Nicaragua ranks 85th out of 196 countries with data for 2024.
- Is food imports rising or falling in Nicaragua?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nicaragua 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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CSV · JSON — 54 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.