Food imports in Pre-demographic dividend
Pre-demographic dividend: Food imports was 15.5% in 2019. ▼ Falling
Food imports in Pre-demographic dividend, 1972–2019
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise imports.
Analysis
In 2019, food imports in Pre-demographic dividend stood at 15.5%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 6.3% on the previous year and up 5.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, food imports in Pre-demographic dividend peaked at 20.4% in 1974 and was at its lowest, 11.2%, in 2008.
That places Pre-demographic dividend 9th out of 47 groups with data for 2019, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 19 years of available data.
Food imports in Pre-demographic dividend, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 17.0% | — |
| 1973 | 18.6% | +9.4% |
| 1974 | 20.4% | +9.8% |
| 1975 | 15.5% | -24.2% |
| 1976 | 13.0% | -15.7% |
| 2000 | 13.4% | +3.0% |
| 2001 | 13.5% | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 13.5% | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 16.5% | +21.7% |
| 2008 | 11.2% | -31.9% |
| 2009 | 14.7% | +31.1% |
| 2010 | 13.6% | -7.1% |
| 2013 | 14.9% | +9.5% |
| 2014 | 13.5% | -9.6% |
| 2015 | 14.8% | +9.3% |
| 2016 | 16.2% | +9.6% |
| 2017 | 18.2% | +12.7% |
| 2018 | 16.5% | -9.5% |
| 2019 | 15.5% | -6.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 16.9% | 13.0% | 20.4% | 5 |
| 2000s | 13.8% | 11.2% | 16.5% | 6 |
| 2010s | 15.4% | 13.5% | 18.2% | 8 |
Countries ranked near Pre-demographic dividend
- 6 Niger 37.9% compare
- 7 Haiti 37.3% compare
- 8 Benin 33.3% compare
- 9 Cape Verde 32.6% compare
- 10 Sierra Leone 32.3% compare
- 11 Sao Tome and Principe 31.8% compare
- 12 Equatorial Guinea 31.8% compare
More private sector data for Pre-demographic dividend
- Merchandise trade 45.3% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 63.9% (2019)
- Merchandise imports 373.79 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 12.3% (2023)
- Manufactures exports 7.6% (2023)
- Merchandise exports 383.71 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 338.63 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.2303 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 5.44 % change on previous year (2025)
- Merchandise imports (current US$), per capita 329.88 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is food imports in Pre-demographic dividend?
- Food imports in Pre-demographic dividend was 15.5% in 2019, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest food imports recorded in Pre-demographic dividend?
- The highest recorded value was 20.4% in 1974.
- What is the lowest food imports recorded in Pre-demographic dividend?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.2% in 2008.
- How does Pre-demographic dividend rank for food imports?
- Pre-demographic dividend ranks 9th out of 47 groups with data for 2019.
- Is food imports rising or falling in Pre-demographic dividend?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Pre-demographic dividend 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.