Food imports in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan: Food imports was 11.7% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Food imports in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, 1974–2023
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise imports.
Analysis
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan recorded 11.7% for food imports in 2023.
The figure is down 10.3% on the previous year and down 0.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, food imports in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan peaked at 23.1% in 1974 and was at its lowest, 10.4%, in 2006.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 38 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 17.0% | 14.1% | 23.1% | 6 |
| 1980s | 14.8% | 13.8% | 15.4% | 4 |
| 1990s | 14.8% | 14.2% | 15.6% | 4 |
| 2000s | 12.1% | 10.4% | 14.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.5% | 11.5% | 13.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.0% | 11.7% | 14.0% | 4 |
More private sector data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
- Merchandise exports 1.79 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Manufactures exports 23.8% (2023)
- Food exports 4.1% (2023)
- Merchandise imports 1.70 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Manufactures imports 60.4% (2023)
- Merchandise trade 47.2% (2025)
- Transport services 39.2% (2024)
- Computer, communications and other services 27.3% (2024)
- Commercial service imports 587.81 billion current US$ (2025)
- Travel services 25.1% (2024)
All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan →
Frequently asked questions
- What is food imports in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- Food imports in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan was 11.7% in 2023, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest food imports recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 23.1% in 1974.
- What is the lowest food imports recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.4% in 2006.
- Is food imports rising or falling in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan 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 — 38 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.