Cereals: which countries are net importers and exporters? by country
Imports and exports are measured as the net sum of all cereal crop varieties. Countries which lie above the grey line are net importers of cereals; those below the line are net exporters.
Countries reporting
190
Highest
68.14 million tonnes
China
Lowest
3,000 tonnes
Nauru
Median
1.12 million tonnes
Years covered
63
1961–2023
Data points
10,214
What the numbers show
Cereals: which countries are net importers and exporters? is currently reported for 190 countries. The highest value is 68.14 million tonnes in China; the lowest is 3,000 tonnes in Nauru.
The median across all reporting countries is 1.12 million tonnes, and the mean is 3.77 million tonnes.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 22,715.
Over the past decade 138 countries rose and 41 fell. The largest increase was in Kazakhstan (up 1,184.8%), and the largest decrease in Russia (down 72.7%).
Cereals: which countries are net importers and exporters?: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | 68.14 million tonnes | 2023 | up 319.5% | volatile |
| 2 | Turkey | 33.70 million tonnes | 2023 | up 128.9% | volatile |
| 3 | Spain | 26.90 million tonnes | 2023 | up 128.6% | volatile |
| 4 | Japan | 25.49 million tonnes | 2022 | down 6.5% | rising |
| 5 | Mexico | 25.09 million tonnes | 2023 | up 62.5% | volatile |
| 6 | Netherlands | 24.77 million tonnes | 2023 | up 39.9% | volatile |
| 7 | United States | 21.91 million tonnes | 2023 | up 23.1% | volatile |
| 8 | Vietnam | 21.09 million tonnes | 2023 | up 318.6% | volatile |
| 9 | Germany | 19.67 million tonnes | 2023 | up 41.4% | rising |
| 10 | Italy | 19.15 million tonnes | 2023 | up 44.9% | rising |
| 11 | Indonesia | 17.75 million tonnes | 2023 | up 55.1% | volatile |
| 12 | South Korea | 17.70 million tonnes | 2023 | up 3.6% | volatile |
| 13 | Egypt | 17.08 million tonnes | 2023 | down 20.6% | volatile |
| 14 | Belgium | 15.70 million tonnes | 2023 | down 4.0% | rising |
| 15 | Saudi Arabia | 12.69 million tonnes | 2023 | down 28.1% | volatile |
| 16 | Philippines | 12.38 million tonnes | 2023 | up 198.6% | volatile |
| 17 | Morocco | 11.62 million tonnes | 2023 | up 87.5% | volatile |
| 18 | United Kingdom | 11.01 million tonnes | 2023 | down 19.1% | rising |
| 19 | Bangladesh | 10.98 million tonnes | 2023 | up 188.8% | volatile |
| 20 | Algeria | 10.70 million tonnes | 2023 | up 3.4% | volatile |
| 21 | Brazil | 9.91 million tonnes | 2023 | down 13.1% | volatile |
| 22 | Malaysia | 9.21 million tonnes | 2023 | up 10.7% | volatile |
| 23 | Iran | 8.96 million tonnes | 2023 | down 31.5% | volatile |
| 24 | Colombia | 8.91 million tonnes | 2023 | up 42.7% | volatile |
| 25 | Canada | 8.35 million tonnes | 2023 | up 58.0% | volatile |
| 26 | Iraq | 7.77 million tonnes | 2023 | up 37.7% | volatile |
| 27 | Thailand | 7.30 million tonnes | 2023 | up 145.8% | volatile |
| 28 | Taiwan | 6.45 million tonnes | 2023 | up 2.9% | rising |
| 29 | Portugal | 6.40 million tonnes | 2023 | up 41.9% | volatile |
| 30 | France | 6.18 million tonnes | 2023 | up 16.1% | volatile |
| 31 | Peru | 6.01 million tonnes | 2023 | up 35.9% | volatile |
| 32 | South Africa | 5.88 million tonnes | 2023 | up 15.9% | volatile |
| 33 | United Arab Emirates | 5.33 million tonnes | 2023 | down 23.5% | volatile |
| 34 | Uzbekistan | 5.09 million tonnes | 2023 | up 135.5% | volatile |
| 35 | Nigeria | 5.08 million tonnes | 2023 | down 29.0% | volatile |
| 36 | Ireland | 5.06 million tonnes | 2023 | up 68.7% | volatile |
| 37 | Romania | 4.83 million tonnes | 2023 | up 117.4% | volatile |
| 38 | Kenya | 4.75 million tonnes | 2023 | up 108.4% | volatile |
| 39 | Afghanistan | 4.74 million tonnes | 2023 | up 120.1% | volatile |
| 40 | Kazakhstan | 4.73 million tonnes | 2023 | up 1,184.8% | volatile |
| 41 | Poland | 4.42 million tonnes | 2023 | up 56.0% | volatile |
| 42 | Chile | 4.30 million tonnes | 2023 | up 34.9% | volatile |
| 43 | Israel | 4.23 million tonnes | 2023 | down 14.8% | volatile |
| 44 | Yemen | 4.20 million tonnes | 2023 | down 3.4% | volatile |
| 45 | Tunisia | 4.19 million tonnes | 2023 | up 15.9% | volatile |
| 46 | Senegal | 4.08 million tonnes | 2023 | up 66.1% | volatile |
| 47 | Austria | 3.70 million tonnes | 2023 | up 36.1% | volatile |
| 48 | Norway | 3.41 million tonnes | 2023 | up 24.6% | volatile |
| 49 | Venezuela | 3.31 million tonnes | 2023 | down 30.5% | rising |
| 50 | Cuba | 3.14 million tonnes | 2019 | up 56.2% | rising |
| 51 | Jordan | 3.08 million tonnes | 2023 | up 6.0% | volatile |
| 52 | Cote d'Ivoire | 3.05 million tonnes | 2023 | up 56.8% | volatile |
| 53 | Guatemala | 3.02 million tonnes | 2023 | up 96.9% | volatile |
| 54 | Pakistan | 2.70 million tonnes | 2023 | up 387.5% | volatile |
| 55 | Benin | 2.66 million tonnes | 2022 | up 160.7% | volatile |
| 56 | Oman | 2.60 million tonnes | 2023 | up 64.1% | volatile |
| 57 | Greece | 2.60 million tonnes | 2023 | up 16.1% | volatile |
| 58 | Dominican Republic | 2.36 million tonnes | 2023 | up 46.0% | volatile |
| 59 | Syria | 2.35 million tonnes | 2023 | down 23.4% | falling |
| 60 | Slovenia | 2.28 million tonnes | 2023 | up 187.3% | volatile |
| 61 | Ghana | 2.23 million tonnes | 2023 | up 47.3% | volatile |
| 62 | Mozambique | 2.21 million tonnes | 2023 | up 32.0% | volatile |
| 63 | Hungary | 2.08 million tonnes | 2023 | up 121.1% | volatile |
| 64 | Tanzania | 2.06 million tonnes | 2023 | up 80.7% | volatile |
| 65 | Sudan | 2.01 million tonnes | 2022 | down 9.6% | flat |
| 66 | Guinea | 1.98 million tonnes | 2023 | up 137.3% | volatile |
| 67 | Ecuador | 1.96 million tonnes | 2023 | up 102.9% | volatile |
| 68 | Cameroon | 1.88 million tonnes | 2023 | up 4.5% | volatile |
| 69 | Nepal | 1.87 million tonnes | 2023 | up 77.5% | volatile |
| 70 | Latvia | 1.82 million tonnes | 2023 | up 182.9% | volatile |
| 71 | Honduras | 1.80 million tonnes | 2023 | up 70.9% | volatile |
| 72 | Somalia | 1.77 million tonnes | 2022 | up 161.5% | rising |
| 73 | Costa Rica | 1.76 million tonnes | 2023 | up 50.3% | volatile |
| 74 | Czechia | 1.76 million tonnes | 2023 | up 101.1% | volatile |
| 75 | Burkina Faso | 1.68 million tonnes | 2023 | up 81.1% | volatile |
| 76 | Azerbaijan | 1.67 million tonnes | 2023 | down 10.8% | rising |
| 77 | Denmark | 1.64 million tonnes | 2023 | down 3.0% | rising |
| 78 | Switzerland | 1.62 million tonnes | 2023 | up 10.9% | rising |
| 79 | Ethiopia | 1.59 million tonnes | 2023 | up 33.8% | volatile |
| 80 | Kuwait | 1.56 million tonnes | 2023 | up 18.6% | volatile |
| 81 | Australia | 1.55 million tonnes | 2023 | up 46.1% | volatile |
| 82 | Angola | 1.54 million tonnes | 2023 | down 12.2% | volatile |
| 83 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 1.54 million tonnes | 2023 | up 96.0% | rising |
| 84 | Uruguay | 1.50 million tonnes | 2023 | up 105.0% | volatile |
| 85 | El Salvador | 1.37 million tonnes | 2023 | up 70.6% | volatile |
| 86 | Haiti | 1.37 million tonnes | 2023 | up 89.1% | volatile |
| 87 | Sri Lanka | 1.35 million tonnes | 2023 | up 27.3% | rising |
| 88 | Slovakia | 1.34 million tonnes | 2023 | up 109.7% | volatile |
| 89 | Niger | 1.33 million tonnes | 2023 | up 61.4% | volatile |
| 90 | Tajikistan | 1.33 million tonnes | 2023 | up 32.7% | rising |
| 91 | Uganda | 1.32 million tonnes | 2023 | up 93.1% | volatile |
| 93 | Qatar | 1.29 million tonnes | 2023 | — | falling |
| 94 | Liberia | 1.25 million tonnes | 2023 | up 158.0% | volatile |
| 95 | Zimbabwe | 1.23 million tonnes | 2023 | up 20.0% | volatile |
| 96 | Lebanon | 1.14 million tonnes | 2023 | down 10.7% | rising |
| 97 | Libya | 1.10 million tonnes | 2023 | down 70.6% | falling |
| 98 | Sweden | 1.07 million tonnes | 2023 | down 1.1% | volatile |
| 99 | Hong Kong | 1.04 million tonnes | 2023 | down 14.3% | rising |
| 100 | Panama | 1.03 million tonnes | 2023 | up 46.5% | volatile |
| 101 | Gambia | 1.01 million tonnes | 2023 | up 212.4% | volatile |
| 102 | India | 1.01 million tonnes | 2023 | up 87.9% | volatile |
| 103 | Botswana | 1.01 million tonnes | 2023 | up 0.8% | volatile |
| 104 | Madagascar | 991,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 23.1% | volatile |
| 105 | New Zealand | 990,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 20.0% | volatile |
| 106 | Nicaragua | 968,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 67.2% | volatile |
| 107 | North Korea | 945,000 tonnes | 2018 | up 164.7% | volatile |
| 108 | Papua New Guinea | 936,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 193.4% | rising |
| 109 | Togo | 919,000 tonnes | 2022 | up 254.8% | volatile |
| 110 | Georgia | 900,000 tonnes | 2023 | down 7.1% | flat |
| 111 | Cambodia | 886,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 299.1% | volatile |
| 112 | Mauritania | 882,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 10.1% | volatile |
| 113 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 875,000 tonnes | 2023 | down 15.8% | rising |
| 114 | Jamaica | 861,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 35.0% | rising |
| 115 | Croatia | 836,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 169.7% | volatile |
| 116 | Namibia | 834,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 127.2% | volatile |
| 117 | Mali | 830,000 tonnes | 2022 | up 0.4% | volatile |
| 118 | Lithuania | 829,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 51.8% | volatile |
| 119 | Kyrgyzstan | 806,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 17.7% | volatile |
| 120 | Sierra Leone | 723,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 51.3% | volatile |
| 121 | Cyprus | 716,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 31.4% | rising |
| 122 | Russia | 700,000 tonnes | 2023 | down 72.7% | volatile |
| 123 | Armenia | 652,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 34.2% | rising |
| 124 | Turkmenistan | 608,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 257.6% | volatile |
| 125 | East Timor | 553,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 202.2% | volatile |
| 126 | Rwanda | 545,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 78.7% | volatile |
| 127 | Finland | 511,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 12.6% | volatile |
| 128 | Bulgaria | 507,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 30.7% | volatile |
| 129 | Congo | 505,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 82.3% | volatile |
| 130 | Mauritius | 497,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 14.3% | rising |
| 131 | Mongolia | 474,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 177.2% | volatile |
| 132 | Albania | 464,000 tonnes | 2023 | down 28.0% | volatile |
| 133 | Myanmar | 460,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 119.0% | volatile |
| 134 | Eswatini | 368,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 91.7% | volatile |
| 134 | Trinidad and Tobago | 368,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 11.9% | rising |
| 136 | Belarus | 363,000 tonnes | 2023 | down 7.2% | volatile |
| 137 | Lesotho | 360,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 15.4% | volatile |
| 138 | Guinea-Bissau | 343,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 226.7% | volatile |
| 139 | Gabon | 340,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 21.0% | volatile |
| 140 | Ukraine | 339,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 4.0% | volatile |
| 141 | Bolivia | 337,000 tonnes | 2023 | down 29.5% | rising |
| 142 | Luxembourg | 324,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 47.9% | rising |
| 143 | Bahrain | 301,000 tonnes | 2023 | — | flat |
| 144 | North Macedonia | 297,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 32.6% | rising |
| 145 | Montenegro | 271,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 7.1% | rising |
| 146 | Laos | 267,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 468.1% | volatile |
| 147 | Serbia | 244,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 134.6% | rising |
| 148 | Fiji | 241,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 3.4% | rising |
| 149 | Bhutan | 230,000 tonnes | 2023 | — | rising |
| 150 | Estonia | 227,000 tonnes | 2023 | down 14.7% | rising |
| 151 | Comoros | 217,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 178.2% | rising |
| 152 | Malta | 184,000 tonnes | 2023 | down 5.2% | rising |
| 153 | Paraguay | 178,000 tonnes | 2023 | down 1.1% | volatile |
| 154 | Zambia | 177,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 160.3% | volatile |
| 155 | Argentina | 173,000 tonnes | 2023 | down 41.2% | volatile |
| 156 | Malawi | 171,000 tonnes | 2023 | down 33.7% | volatile |
| 157 | Moldova | 168,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 29.2% | volatile |
| 158 | Burundi | 161,000 tonnes | 2022 | down 5.8% | rising |
| 159 | Cape Verde | 150,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 25.0% | volatile |
| 160 | Iceland | 144,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 19.0% | rising |
| 161 | Chad | 139,000 tonnes | 2022 | down 17.3% | volatile |
| 162 | Guyana | 115,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 12.7% | rising |
| 163 | Macao | 100,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 3.1% | volatile |
| 163 | Maldives | 100,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 40.8% | volatile |
| 165 | Solomon Islands | 89,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 3.5% | volatile |
| 166 | Barbados | 87,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 13.0% | rising |
| 167 | Bahamas | 63,000 tonnes | 2023 | down 11.3% | rising |
| 167 | New Caledonia | 63,000 tonnes | 2023 | down 13.7% | rising |
| 169 | Central African Republic | 60,000 tonnes | 2022 | down 10.4% | volatile |
| 170 | Brunei | 59,000 tonnes | 2009 | down 22.4% | volatile |
| 170 | French Polynesia | 59,000 tonnes | 2023 | down 6.3% | rising |
| 172 | Vanuatu | 58,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 56.8% | volatile |
| 173 | Suriname | 56,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 1.8% | rising |
| 174 | Grenada | 51,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 104.0% | volatile |
| 175 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 41,000 tonnes | 2023 | down 6.8% | volatile |
| 176 | Belize | 38,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 46.2% | rising |
| 177 | Seychelles | 36,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 50.0% | rising |
| 178 | Saint Lucia | 34,000 tonnes | 2023 | unchanged | rising |
| 179 | Netherlands Antilles | 32,000 tonnes | 2009 | down 11.1% | volatile |
| 180 | Samoa | 31,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 55.0% | volatile |
| 181 | Sao Tome and Principe | 21,000 tonnes | 2023 | unchanged | volatile |
| 181 | Tonga | 21,000 tonnes | 2023 | — | flat |
| 183 | Kiribati | 20,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 17.6% | volatile |
| 184 | Antigua and Barbuda | 14,000 tonnes | 2023 | unchanged | rising |
| 185 | Marshall Islands | 10,000 tonnes | 2023 | — | volatile |
| 186 | Bermuda | 8,000 tonnes | 2009 | up 33.3% | rising |
| 186 | Micronesia (country) | 8,000 tonnes | 2023 | — | falling |
| 188 | Dominica | 7,000 tonnes | 2022 | up 250.0% | flat |
| 188 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 7,000 tonnes | 2023 | up 40.0% | rising |
| 188 | Tuvalu | 7,000 tonnes | 2023 | — | rising |
| 191 | Nauru | 3,000 tonnes | 2023 | — | rising |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- USSR 38.14 million tonnes
About this data
Imports and exports are measured as the net sum of all cereal crop varieties. Countries which lie above the grey line are net importers of cereals; those below the line are net exporters.