Share of food products in total merchandise exports in Democratic Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo: Share of food products in total merchandise exports was 0.6% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Share of food products in total merchandise exports in Democratic Republic of Congo, 1962–2023
Source: UN Comtrade, WITS, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of merchandise exports.
Analysis
Democratic Republic of Congo recorded 0.6% for share of food products in total merchandise exports in 2023.
The figure is down 15.7% on the previous year and down 7.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of food products in total merchandise exports in Democratic Republic of Congo peaked at 95.2% in 1962 and was at its lowest, 0.4%, in 2018.
That places Democratic Republic of Congo 187th out of 196 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of food products in total merchandise exports in Democratic Republic of Congo, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise exports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | 95.2% | — |
| 1965 | 15.5% | -83.7% |
| 1970 | 12.0% | -22.7% |
| 1972 | 14.0% | +17.1% |
| 1973 | 13.7% | -2.7% |
| 1974 | 12.0% | -12.3% |
| 1975 | 17.7% | +47.7% |
| 1976 | 25.7% | +44.9% |
| 1977 | 27.9% | +8.7% |
| 1978 | 32.5% | +16.5% |
| 2015 | 0.7% | -97.9% |
| 2016 | 0.9% | +36.2% |
| 2017 | 0.6% | -35.6% |
| 2018 | 0.4% | -33.3% |
| 2019 | 0.7% | +78.5% |
| 2020 | 0.8% | +18.6% |
| 2021 | 0.6% | -27.7% |
| 2022 | 0.7% | +22.9% |
| 2023 | 0.6% | -15.7% |
Democratic Republic of Congo compared with similar countries
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 0.6% is below the median for low income countries, which is 34.9%, 2% of the median. (22 countries reporting)
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 0.6% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 27.6%, 2% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 55.3% | 15.5% | 95.2% | 2 |
| 1970s | 19.4% | 12.0% | 32.5% | 8 |
| 2010s | 0.7% | 0.4% | 0.9% | 5 |
| 2020s | 0.7% | 0.6% | 0.8% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Democratic Republic of Congo
More economy & growth data for Democratic Republic of Congo
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 197.81 million BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0026 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 1.81 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 1.87 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual -35.9 % change on previous year (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0205 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 16.56 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 16.58 % change on previous year (2023)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), per unit of GDP 0.0731 includes gold, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), per capita 48.25 includes gold, current US$ per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of food products in total merchandise exports in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Share of food products in total merchandise exports in Democratic Republic of Congo was 0.6% in 2023, according to UN Comtrade, WITS, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of food products in total merchandise exports recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 95.2% in 1962.
- What is the lowest share of food products in total merchandise exports recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.4% in 2018.
- How does Democratic Republic of Congo rank for share of food products in total merchandise exports?
- Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 187th out of 196 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of food products in total merchandise exports rising or falling in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Democratic Republic of Congo data come from?
- The figures come from UN Comtrade, WITS, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of food products in total merchandise exports. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Value of food exports divided by the total value of merchandise exports, expressed as a percentage.