Share of food products in total merchandise exports in Iran

Iran: Share of food products in total merchandise exports was 5.9% in 2022. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2022)
5.9%
Change on year
down 22.5%
World rank
155th
of 196 countries
All-time high
17.5%
in 2020
All-time low
0.2%
in 1977
Years of data
37
1963–2022

Share of food products in total merchandise exports in Iran, 1963–2022

051015201963199220221963: 3.4 % of merchandise exports1964: 2.7 % of merchandise exports1965: 3.4 % of merchandise exports1966: 3.3 % of merchandise exports1967: 2.6 % of merchandise exports1968: 3 % of merchandise exports1969: 2.8 % of merchandise exports1970: 2.6 % of merchandise exports1971: 2.5 % of merchandise exports1972: 2.5 % of merchandise exports1973: 2.4 % of merchandise exports1974: 0.504 % of merchandise exports1975: 0.551 % of merchandise exports1976: 0.431 % of merchandise exports1977: 0.238 % of merchandise exports1997: 3.6 % of merchandise exports1998: 6.6 % of merchandise exports1999: 4.1 % of merchandise exports2000: 2.9 % of merchandise exports2001: 3.8 % of merchandise exports2002: 3.7 % of merchandise exports2003: 4.2 % of merchandise exports2004: 3.1 % of merchandise exports2005: 3.5 % of merchandise exports2006: 4.3 % of merchandise exports2010: 6.2 % of merchandise exports2011: 3.7 % of merchandise exports2013: 5.5 % of merchandise exports2014: 7.3 % of merchandise exports2015: 9.7 % of merchandise exports2016: 7.3 % of merchandise exports2017: 5.9 % of merchandise exports2018: 6.3 % of merchandise exports2019: 13.6 % of merchandise exports2020: 17.5 % of merchandise exports2021: 7.7 % of merchandise exports2022: 5.9 % of merchandise exports

Source: UN Comtrade, WITS, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of merchandise exports.

Analysis

Iran recorded 5.9% for share of food products in total merchandise exports in 2022.

That represents a change of down 22.5% on the previous year and up 61.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of food products in total merchandise exports in Iran peaked at 17.5% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 0.2%, in 1977.

That places Iran 155th out of 196 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 3.0% 2.6% 3.4% 7
1970s 1.5% 0.2% 2.6% 8
1990s 4.8% 3.6% 6.6% 3
2000s 3.6% 2.9% 4.3% 7
2010s 7.3% 3.7% 13.6% 9
2020s 10.4% 5.9% 17.5% 3

Countries ranked near Iran

  1. 152 Mali 6.2% compare
  2. 153 Kazakhstan 6.1% compare
  3. 154 Nigeria 6.0% compare
  4. 156 Bhutan 5.9% compare
  5. 157 Czechia 5.4% compare
  6. 158 Tajikistan 5.2% compare

See the full ranking of 196 places →

More economy & growth data for Iran

All data for Iran →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of food products in total merchandise exports in Iran?
Share of food products in total merchandise exports in Iran was 5.9% in 2022, 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 Iran?
The highest recorded value was 17.5% in 2020.
What is the lowest share of food products in total merchandise exports recorded in Iran?
The lowest recorded value was 0.2% in 1977.
How does Iran rank for share of food products in total merchandise exports?
Iran ranks 155th out of 196 countries with data for 2022.
Is share of food products in total merchandise exports rising or falling in Iran?
Over the last ten years it is up 61.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Iran 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

Indicator
Share of food products in total merchandise exports
Unit
% of merchandise exports
Source
UN Comtrade, WITS, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
196 places, 7,959 data points, 1962–2025
Last refreshed

Value of food exports divided by the total value of merchandise exports, expressed as a percentage.