Food imports in Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago: Food imports was 16.4% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Food imports in Trinidad and Tobago, 1968–2024
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise imports.
Analysis
Trinidad and Tobago recorded 16.4% for food imports in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 20.9% on the previous year and up 71.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, food imports in Trinidad and Tobago peaked at 22.9% in 1985 and was at its lowest, 7.6%, in 1974.
Trinidad and Tobago ranks 87th of 196 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 54 years of available data.
Food imports in Trinidad and Tobago, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 11.7% | — |
| 1969 | 12.4% | +6.5% |
| 1970 | 11.3% | -9.5% |
| 1971 | 10.1% | -10.6% |
| 1972 | 10.2% | +1.1% |
| 1973 | 11.8% | +16.4% |
| 1974 | 7.6% | -35.6% |
| 1975 | 10.1% | +32.0% |
| 1976 | 7.6% | -24.2% |
| 1977 | 10.0% | +30.8% |
| 1978 | 11.1% | +11.3% |
| 1979 | 12.8% | +15.1% |
| 1980 | 11.1% | -13.4% |
| 1981 | 12.9% | +16.3% |
| 1982 | 11.8% | -8.1% |
| 1983 | 17.4% | +46.7% |
| 1984 | 22.1% | +27.3% |
| 1985 | 22.9% | +3.5% |
| 1986 | 17.5% | -23.4% |
| 1987 | 21.7% | +23.8% |
| 1991 | 15.4% | -29.0% |
| 1992 | 17.2% | +11.6% |
| 1993 | 14.6% | -15.2% |
| 1994 | 19.3% | +32.2% |
| 1995 | 15.7% | -18.8% |
| 1996 | 13.5% | -13.7% |
| 1997 | 10.5% | -22.7% |
| 1998 | 11.3% | +8.1% |
| 1999 | 11.3% | -0.0% |
| 2000 | 8.3% | -26.4% |
| 2001 | 8.8% | +6.2% |
| 2002 | 8.8% | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 9.5% | +7.9% |
| 2004 | 8.6% | -8.8% |
| 2005 | 9.0% | +4.4% |
| 2006 | 7.8% | -13.8% |
| 2007 | 8.1% | +3.9% |
| 2008 | 8.3% | +2.1% |
| 2009 | 10.1% | +21.9% |
| 2010 | 11.2% | +11.2% |
| 2011 | 9.1% | -18.4% |
| 2012 | 8.7% | -5.0% |
| 2013 | 8.4% | -3.6% |
| 2014 | 9.6% | +14.4% |
| 2015 | 11.5% | +20.1% |
| 2016 | 12.1% | +4.9% |
| 2017 | 14.0% | +15.9% |
| 2018 | 12.6% | -9.8% |
| 2019 | 15.4% | +22.3% |
| 2020 | 18.8% | +21.7% |
| 2021 | 17.7% | -5.6% |
| 2022 | 20.6% | +16.1% |
| 2023 | 13.6% | -33.9% |
| 2024 | 16.4% | +20.9% |
Trinidad and Tobago compared with similar countries
- Trinidad and Tobago's 16.4% is above the median for high income countries, which is 12.8%, 1.3× the median. (71 countries reporting)
- Trinidad and Tobago's 16.4% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 18.4%, 89% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 12.1% | 11.7% | 12.4% | 2 |
| 1970s | 10.3% | 7.6% | 12.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 17.2% | 11.1% | 22.9% | 8 |
| 1990s | 14.3% | 10.5% | 19.3% | 9 |
| 2000s | 8.7% | 7.8% | 10.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.2% | 8.4% | 15.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.4% | 13.6% | 20.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Trinidad and Tobago
More private sector data for Trinidad and Tobago
- Merchandise trade 48.6% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 61.9% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 5.80 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 8.2% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 59.1% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 6.82 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 4,983 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.2627 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate -13.71 % change on previous year (2025)
- Merchandise imports (current US$), per capita 4,238 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is food imports in Trinidad and Tobago?
- Food imports in Trinidad and Tobago was 16.4% in 2024, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest food imports recorded in Trinidad and Tobago?
- The highest recorded value was 22.9% in 1985.
- What is the lowest food imports recorded in Trinidad and Tobago?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.6% in 1974.
- How does Trinidad and Tobago rank for food imports?
- Trinidad and Tobago ranks 87th out of 196 countries with data for 2024.
- Is food imports rising or falling in Trinidad and Tobago?
- Over the last ten years it is up 71.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Trinidad and Tobago 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.