Food imports in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Food imports was 12.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Food imports in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1974–2024
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise imports.
Analysis
The most recent figure for food imports in Sub-Saharan Africa is 12.1%, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of down 0.3% on the previous year and down 3.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, food imports in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 15.0% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 9.7%, in 1976.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa 15th out of 47 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Food imports in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | 12.9% | — |
| 1975 | 10.5% | -18.8% |
| 1976 | 9.7% | -7.3% |
| 1977 | 10.6% | +9.2% |
| 1978 | 11.0% | +3.6% |
| 1979 | 10.9% | -1.0% |
| 1996 | 12.6% | +15.9% |
| 1997 | 12.1% | -3.8% |
| 1998 | 12.7% | +4.9% |
| 1999 | 13.7% | +7.4% |
| 2000 | 12.5% | -8.5% |
| 2001 | 13.2% | +5.8% |
| 2002 | 13.4% | +1.1% |
| 2003 | 13.5% | +0.7% |
| 2004 | 12.1% | -10.4% |
| 2005 | 10.6% | -11.8% |
| 2006 | 11.7% | +9.8% |
| 2007 | 12.2% | +4.3% |
| 2008 | 11.3% | -7.3% |
| 2009 | 12.2% | +8.0% |
| 2010 | 11.8% | -3.1% |
| 2011 | 14.9% | +26.1% |
| 2012 | 13.7% | -8.1% |
| 2013 | 12.5% | -8.7% |
| 2014 | 12.6% | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 12.2% | -3.1% |
| 2016 | 13.6% | +11.4% |
| 2017 | 14.4% | +5.7% |
| 2018 | 13.3% | -7.3% |
| 2019 | 12.6% | -5.4% |
| 2020 | 15.0% | +19.1% |
| 2021 | 14.8% | -1.6% |
| 2022 | 13.0% | -12.0% |
| 2023 | 12.2% | -6.3% |
| 2024 | 12.1% | -0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 10.9% | 9.7% | 12.9% | 6 |
| 1990s | 12.8% | 12.1% | 13.7% | 4 |
| 2000s | 12.3% | 10.6% | 13.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.2% | 11.8% | 14.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.4% | 12.1% | 15.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
- 12 Equatorial Guinea 31.8% compare
- 13 Palestine, State of 30.9% compare
- 14 Aruba 30.7% compare
- 15 Sudan 29.9% compare
- 16 Samoa 29.6% compare
- 17 Iran, Islamic Republic of 29.5% compare
- 18 Timor-Leste 28.1% compare
More private sector data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Merchandise trade 44.5% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 56.8% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 501.15 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 14.7% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 19.4% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 486.80 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 368.33 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.2201 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 11.24 % change on previous year (2025)
- Merchandise imports (current US$), per capita 379.19 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is food imports in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Food imports in Sub-Saharan Africa was 12.1% in 2024, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest food imports recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 15.0% in 2020.
- What is the lowest food imports recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.7% in 1976.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for food imports?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 15th out of 47 groups with data for 2024.
- Is food imports rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa 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 — 35 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.