Food imports in United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates: Food imports was 5.0% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Food imports in United Arab Emirates, 1978–2023
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise imports.
Analysis
In 2023, food imports in United Arab Emirates stood at 5.0%. That is the lowest value across all 34 years on record.
The figure is down 10.7% on the previous year and down 1.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, food imports in United Arab Emirates peaked at 17.2% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 5.0%, in 2023.
That places United Arab Emirates 192nd out of 196 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
Food imports in United Arab Emirates, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | 11.0% | — |
| 1979 | 10.9% | -1.0% |
| 1980 | 11.1% | +2.0% |
| 1981 | 10.7% | -4.2% |
| 1982 | 9.6% | -10.2% |
| 1983 | 12.3% | +28.1% |
| 1991 | 17.2% | +40.0% |
| 1992 | 16.1% | -6.0% |
| 1993 | 14.9% | -7.7% |
| 1999 | 11.3% | -24.3% |
| 2000 | 11.1% | -1.6% |
| 2001 | 9.8% | -12.0% |
| 2002 | 7.8% | -20.5% |
| 2003 | 7.4% | -4.8% |
| 2004 | 6.4% | -13.1% |
| 2005 | 6.6% | +3.6% |
| 2006 | 6.4% | -3.7% |
| 2007 | 6.0% | -6.0% |
| 2008 | 6.1% | +0.7% |
| 2009 | 6.1% | +1.5% |
| 2010 | 6.0% | -2.2% |
| 2011 | 6.5% | +8.4% |
| 2012 | 5.9% | -9.5% |
| 2013 | 5.0% | -14.4% |
| 2014 | 5.5% | +9.6% |
| 2015 | 5.8% | +4.7% |
| 2016 | 5.9% | +2.2% |
| 2017 | 7.0% | +18.4% |
| 2018 | 7.3% | +4.4% |
| 2019 | 6.2% | -15.4% |
| 2020 | 6.8% | +10.4% |
| 2021 | 5.4% | -21.5% |
| 2022 | 5.6% | +4.3% |
| 2023 | 5.0% | -10.7% |
United Arab Emirates compared with similar countries
- United Arab Emirates's 5.0% is below the median for high income countries, which is 12.8%, 39% of the median. (71 countries reporting)
- United Arab Emirates's 5.0% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 17.5%, 29% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 11.0% | 10.9% | 11.0% | 2 |
| 1980s | 10.9% | 9.6% | 12.3% | 4 |
| 1990s | 14.9% | 11.3% | 17.2% | 4 |
| 2000s | 7.4% | 6.0% | 11.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.1% | 5.0% | 7.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.7% | 5.0% | 6.8% | 4 |
Countries ranked near United Arab Emirates
More private sector data for United Arab Emirates
- Merchandise trade 208.2% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 54.9% (2023)
- Merchandise imports 618.88 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 2.9% (2023)
- Manufactures exports 8.8% (2023)
- Merchandise exports 706.67 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 61,380 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 1.1 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 16.69 % change on previous year (2025)
- Merchandise imports (current US$), per capita 53,754 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is food imports in United Arab Emirates?
- Food imports in United Arab Emirates was 5.0% in 2023, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest food imports recorded in United Arab Emirates?
- The highest recorded value was 17.2% in 1991.
- What is the lowest food imports recorded in United Arab Emirates?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.0% in 2023.
- How does United Arab Emirates rank for food imports?
- United Arab Emirates ranks 192nd out of 196 countries with data for 2023.
- Is food imports rising or falling in United Arab Emirates?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Arab Emirates 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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CSV · JSON — 34 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.