Food imports (% of merchandise imports) in Pakistan
Pakistan: Food imports (% of merchandise imports) was 14.0% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Food imports in Pakistan, 1962–2025
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise imports.
Analysis
The most recent figure for food imports in Pakistan is 14.0%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.7% on the previous year and up 15.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, food imports in Pakistan peaked at 30.2% in 1972 and was at its lowest, 8.4%, in 1969.
Pakistan ranks 108th of 196 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 61 years of available data.
Food imports (% of merchandise imports) in Pakistan, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | 14.3% | — |
| 1963 | 22.0% | +53.1% |
| 1964 | 20.4% | -7.1% |
| 1965 | 20.2% | -1.2% |
| 1966 | 15.7% | -21.9% |
| 1967 | 21.5% | +36.8% |
| 1968 | 19.0% | -11.8% |
| 1969 | 8.4% | -56.0% |
| 1970 | 20.9% | +150.2% |
| 1971 | 19.0% | -9.0% |
| 1972 | 30.2% | +58.5% |
| 1973 | 24.9% | -17.6% |
| 1974 | 23.2% | -6.7% |
| 1975 | 23.6% | +1.8% |
| 1976 | 20.9% | -11.4% |
| 1977 | 17.0% | -18.7% |
| 1978 | 19.3% | +13.7% |
| 1979 | 19.9% | +3.0% |
| 1980 | 13.0% | -34.6% |
| 1981 | 14.1% | +7.9% |
| 1982 | 13.6% | -3.4% |
| 1983 | 14.0% | +3.3% |
| 1984 | 17.1% | +21.8% |
| 1985 | 18.9% | +10.6% |
| 1986 | 17.8% | -5.5% |
| 1987 | 13.8% | -22.7% |
| 1990 | 17.4% | +25.7% |
| 1991 | 12.2% | -29.9% |
| 1992 | 15.1% | +24.0% |
| 1993 | 14.2% | -5.7% |
| 1995 | 17.5% | +23.1% |
| 1996 | 14.8% | -15.4% |
| 1997 | 18.6% | +25.4% |
| 1998 | 20.3% | +9.2% |
| 1999 | 16.4% | -19.3% |
| 2000 | 13.8% | -15.9% |
| 2001 | 12.2% | -11.3% |
| 2002 | 11.9% | -2.7% |
| 2003 | 11.3% | -5.0% |
| 2004 | 10.0% | -11.4% |
| 2005 | 10.4% | +4.0% |
| 2006 | 10.3% | -1.4% |
| 2007 | 8.9% | -13.6% |
| 2008 | 11.9% | +33.7% |
| 2009 | 11.3% | -4.3% |
| 2010 | 13.0% | +15.0% |
| 2011 | 11.9% | -8.4% |
| 2012 | 11.1% | -7.4% |
| 2013 | 10.2% | -7.7% |
| 2014 | 11.7% | +14.9% |
| 2015 | 12.1% | +3.1% |
| 2016 | 12.5% | +3.4% |
| 2017 | 11.8% | -5.6% |
| 2018 | 10.0% | -15.0% |
| 2019 | 10.7% | +7.0% |
| 2020 | 15.0% | +39.7% |
| 2021 | 12.9% | -14.2% |
| 2022 | 13.2% | +2.6% |
| 2023 | 16.1% | +22.0% |
| 2024 | 14.1% | -12.5% |
| 2025 | 14.0% | -0.7% |
Pakistan compared with similar countries
- Pakistan's 14.0% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 18.5%, 76% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Pakistan's 14.0% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 16.0%, 87% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Food imports (% of merchandise imports) in Pakistan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | +150.2% | 8.4% | 20.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 17.7% | 8.4% | 22.0% | 8 |
| 1970s | 21.9% | 17.0% | 30.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 15.3% | 13.0% | 18.9% | 8 |
| 1990s | 16.3% | 12.2% | 20.3% | 9 |
| 2000s | 11.2% | 8.9% | 13.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.5% | 10.0% | 13.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.2% | 12.9% | 16.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Pakistan
More private sector data for Pakistan
- Merchandise trade 23.7% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 50.2% (2025)
- Merchandise imports 65.85 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service imports 11.27 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 18.2% (2025)
- Manufactures exports 73.2% (2025)
- Merchandise exports 30.55 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service exports 8.19 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 119.68 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.075 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is food imports in Pakistan?
- Food imports in Pakistan was 14.0% in 2025, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest food imports recorded in Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 30.2% in 1972.
- What is the lowest food imports recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.4% in 1969.
- How does Pakistan rank for food imports?
- Pakistan ranks 108th out of 196 countries with data for 2025.
- Is food imports rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Pakistan 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 — 61 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.