Food imports (% of merchandise imports) in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Food imports (% of merchandise imports) was 12.3% 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 12.3%, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of up 0.5% on the previous year and down 3.3% 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 17th 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 (% of merchandise 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 | 12.1% | +3.5% |
| 2008 | 11.3% | -6.4% |
| 2009 | 12.2% | +8.0% |
| 2010 | 11.8% | -3.2% |
| 2011 | 14.8% | +25.4% |
| 2012 | 13.5% | -9.3% |
| 2013 | 12.5% | -7.2% |
| 2014 | 12.7% | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 12.2% | -3.9% |
| 2016 | 14.1% | +15.9% |
| 2017 | 14.9% | +5.4% |
| 2018 | 13.4% | -10.0% |
| 2019 | 12.6% | -6.0% |
| 2020 | 15.0% | +19.4% |
| 2021 | 14.8% | -1.7% |
| 2022 | 13.0% | -12.0% |
| 2023 | 12.2% | -6.2% |
| 2024 | 12.3% | +0.5% |
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% | 12.2% | 15.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
More private sector data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Merchandise trade 44.5% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 56.9% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 501.15 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service imports 147.11 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 14.6% (2025)
- Manufactures exports 19.5% (2025)
- Merchandise exports 486.80 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service exports 88.65 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is food imports in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Food imports in Sub-Saharan Africa was 12.3% 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 17th 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 3.3%. 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.
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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.