Food imports in Nigeria
Nigeria: Food imports was 11.0% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Food imports in Nigeria, 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 Nigeria is 11.0%, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.0% on the previous year and down 35.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, food imports in Nigeria peaked at 30.6% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 8.1%, in 1968.
Nigeria ranks 145th of 196 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 51 years of available data.
Food imports in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | 14.1% | — |
| 1963 | 12.1% | -14.1% |
| 1964 | 9.2% | -23.9% |
| 1965 | 9.1% | -1.0% |
| 1966 | 11.0% | +20.5% |
| 1967 | 10.5% | -5.0% |
| 1968 | 8.1% | -22.6% |
| 1969 | 8.8% | +8.4% |
| 1970 | 8.2% | -6.1% |
| 1971 | 8.6% | +4.6% |
| 1972 | 10.1% | +17.6% |
| 1973 | 10.8% | +6.7% |
| 1974 | 9.5% | -11.9% |
| 1975 | 9.4% | -1.6% |
| 1976 | 10.1% | +7.8% |
| 1977 | 12.9% | +27.3% |
| 1978 | 14.1% | +9.8% |
| 1979 | 16.8% | +19.2% |
| 1981 | 15.5% | -7.7% |
| 1983 | 21.6% | +38.7% |
| 1984 | 21.3% | -1.2% |
| 1985 | 18.0% | -15.6% |
| 1986 | 15.8% | -12.2% |
| 1987 | 10.9% | -31.1% |
| 1996 | 17.5% | +61.3% |
| 1997 | 18.4% | +5.0% |
| 1998 | 19.6% | +6.6% |
| 1999 | 27.0% | +37.9% |
| 2000 | 19.9% | -26.3% |
| 2001 | 21.7% | +9.0% |
| 2002 | 19.6% | -9.8% |
| 2003 | 15.5% | -20.8% |
| 2006 | 18.0% | +15.9% |
| 2007 | 20.1% | +11.7% |
| 2008 | 9.8% | -51.2% |
| 2009 | 11.8% | +21.0% |
| 2010 | 10.3% | -13.3% |
| 2011 | 30.6% | +198.2% |
| 2012 | 22.7% | -25.7% |
| 2013 | 17.8% | -21.5% |
| 2014 | 17.0% | -4.5% |
| 2015 | 16.9% | -0.5% |
| 2016 | 12.9% | -24.2% |
| 2017 | 16.3% | +27.0% |
| 2018 | 10.9% | -33.0% |
| 2019 | 9.9% | -9.3% |
| 2020 | 14.6% | +47.5% |
| 2021 | 14.2% | -3.2% |
| 2022 | 11.4% | -19.3% |
| 2023 | 10.7% | -6.4% |
| 2024 | 11.0% | +3.0% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 11.0% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 18.4%, 60% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 11.0% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 20.0%, 55% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Food imports in Nigeria changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | +198.2% | 10.3% | 30.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 10.4% | 8.1% | 14.1% | 8 |
| 1970s | 11.1% | 8.2% | 16.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 17.2% | 10.9% | 21.6% | 6 |
| 1990s | 20.6% | 17.5% | 27.0% | 4 |
| 2000s | 17.0% | 9.8% | 21.7% | 8 |
| 2010s | 16.5% | 9.9% | 30.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.4% | 10.7% | 14.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
More private sector data for Nigeria
- Merchandise trade 33.3% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 46.0% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 41.45 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 6.0% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 3.5% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 55.47 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 233.52 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1907 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 4.03 % change on previous year (2025)
- Merchandise imports (current US$), per capita 174.51 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is food imports in Nigeria?
- Food imports in Nigeria was 11.0% in 2024, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest food imports recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 30.6% in 2011.
- What is the lowest food imports recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.1% in 1968.
- How does Nigeria rank for food imports?
- Nigeria ranks 145th out of 196 countries with data for 2024.
- Is food imports rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 35.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nigeria 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 — 51 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.