Food imports (% of merchandise imports) in East Timor
East Timor: Food imports (% of merchandise imports) was 28.1% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Food imports in East Timor, 2004–2023
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise imports.
Analysis
In 2023, food imports in East Timor stood at 28.1%.
The figure is down 0.4% on the previous year and up 95.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, food imports in East Timor peaked at 32.7% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 14.4%, in 2013.
East Timor ranks 20th of 196 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 10 years of available data.
Food imports (% of merchandise imports) in East Timor, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 19.1% | — |
| 2005 | 17.6% | -7.6% |
| 2013 | 14.4% | -18.6% |
| 2017 | 30.2% | +110.5% |
| 2018 | 29.4% | -2.8% |
| 2019 | 27.4% | -6.9% |
| 2020 | 31.3% | +14.4% |
| 2021 | 32.7% | +4.6% |
| 2022 | 28.2% | -13.9% |
| 2023 | 28.1% | -0.4% |
East Timor compared with similar countries
- East Timor's 28.1% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 18.5%, 1.5× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- East Timor's 28.1% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 12.9%, 2.2× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 18.4% | 17.6% | 19.1% | 2 |
| 2010s | 25.3% | 14.4% | 30.2% | 4 |
| 2020s | 30.1% | 28.1% | 32.7% | 4 |
Countries ranked near East Timor
- 17 Samoa 29.6% compare
- 18 Faroe Islands 29.0% compare
- 19 Algeria 28.2% compare
- 21 Micronesia (country) 27.8% compare
- 22 Antigua and Barbuda 27.7% compare
- 23 Saint Lucia 27.6% compare
More private sector data for East Timor
- Merchandise trade 56.9% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 49.6% (2023)
- Merchandise imports 979.00 million current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service imports 453.40 million current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 10.5% (2023)
- Manufactures exports 21.9% (2023)
- Merchandise exports 103.00 million current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service exports 132.58 million current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 72.61 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.0541 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is food imports in East Timor?
- Food imports in East Timor was 28.1% in 2023, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest food imports recorded in East Timor?
- The highest recorded value was 32.7% in 2021.
- What is the lowest food imports recorded in East Timor?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.4% in 2013.
- How does East Timor rank for food imports?
- East Timor ranks 20th out of 196 countries with data for 2023.
- Is food imports rising or falling in East Timor?
- Over the last ten years it is up 95.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this East Timor 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 — 10 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.