The overall value of imported wheat for all buying countries inflated by an average 59.2% since 2018 when the world’s tally for wheat purchases equaled $45.4d billion.
From 2021 to 2022, the worldwide bill for wheat imports increased by 14.3% starting from $63.3 billion in the earlier year.
By value, the 5 biggest buyers of wheat (Indonesia, Egypt, mainland China, Türkiye and Italy) purchased almost one quarter (24.3%) of overall wheat imports bought in 2022.
From a continents’ perspective, Asian countries accounted for the highest dollar worth of overall wheat imported during 2022 with purchases valued at $30.8 billion or 42.8% of the global total. In second place were African importers at 26% while another 17.7% worth of worldwide wheat imports was delivered to Europe.
Smaller percentages arrived for buyers in Latin America (9.7%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, North America (3.2%), then Oceania (0.6%) led by New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.
For research purposes, the 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix is 1001 for wheat and meslin.
Wheat Imports by Country
Below are the 15 countries that imported the highest dollar value worth of wheat during 2022.
- Indonesia: US$3.81 billion (5.3% of total imported wheat)
- Egypt: $3.8 billion (5.3%)
- China: $3.78 billion (5.2%)
- Türkiye: $3.4 billion (4.6%)
- Italy: $2.8 billion (3.9%)
- Algeria: $2.7 billion (3.7%)
- Philippines: $2.58 billion (3.6%)
- Morocco: $2.56 billion (3.5%)
- Japan: $2.53 billion (3.5%)
- Nigeria: $2.3 billion (3.1%)
- Brazil: $2.1 billion (2.8%)
- Spain: $1.83 billion (2.5%)
- South Korea: $1.79 billion (2.5%)
- Mexico: $1.55 billion (2.1%)
- Germany: $1.46 billion (2%)
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing markets for wheat since 2021 were: Morocco (up 60.9%), Spain (up 54.7%), Egypt (up 54.3%) and Japan (up 41.5%).
Only Nigeria reduced its spending on imported wheat during 2022 via a 17.5% drop compared to 2021.
By value, the listed 15 countries purchased 53.8% of all wheat imported in 2022.
Global Wheat Imports into Indonesia
Below are the top suppliers from which Indonesia imported the highest dollar value worth of wheat during 2022. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country from 2021 to 2022.
- Australia: US$1.7 billion (up 16.5% from 2020)
- Canada: $633.8 million (down -0.9%)
- Argentina: $520.2 million (up 206.9%)
- India: $382.4 million (up 278.7%)
- Brazil: $228.3 million (up 654.5%)
- United States of America: $162.9 million (up 20.9%)
- Bulgaria: $68.9 million (up 18.8%)
- Ukraine: $61.3 million (down -93.3%)
- Lithuania: $22.9 million (2021 data unavailable)
- Moldova: $11.5 million (down -42.9%)
By value, the listed countries shipped 100% of wheat imported by Indonesia in 2022.
Overall, the value of Indonesia’s imported wheat increased by an average 7.4% from all supplying countries since 2021 when wheat purchased cost $3.5 billion.
Global Wheat Imports into Egypt
Below are the top suppliers from which Egypt imported the highest dollar value worth of wheat during 2022. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country from 2021 to 2022.
- Russia: US$1.9 billion (up 89.8% from 2021)
- Romania: $625.9 million (up 78.5%)
- France: $611 million (up 847%)
- Ukraine: $218.7 million (down -64.9%)
- Bulgaria: $167.3 million (2021 data unavailable)
- Germany: $53.5 million (up 15,227%)
- Australia: $48.7 million (down -46.3%)
- Belarus: $32.4 million (2021 data unavailable)
- Lithuania: $28.2 million (up 89.7%)
- India: $24 million (2021 data unavailable)
- United States of America: $22.4 million (up 2,036%)
- Brazil: $19.1 million (up 5,359%)
- Canada: $2.9 million (up 33.3%)
By value, the listed countries shipped 100% of wheat imported by Egypt in 2022.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of wheat to Egypt since 2021 were: Germany (up 15,227%), Brazil (up 5,359%), United States of America (up 2,036%) and France (up 847%).
A pair of leading suppliers experienced declines in the value of their wheat supplied to Egyptian importers namely Ukraine (down -64.9% from 2021) and Australia (down -46.3%).
Overall, the value of Egypt’s imported wheat accelerated by an average 54.3% from all supplying countries since 2021 when wheat purchased cost $2.5 billion.
Global Wheat Imports into China
Below are the top suppliers from which mainland China imported the highest dollar value worth of wheat during 2022. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country from 2021 to 2022.
- Australia: US$2.1 billion (up 143.6% from 2021)
- Canada: $790.4 million (down -2%)
- France: $608.2 million (up 41.7%)
- United States of America: $265.1 million (down -69.2%)
- Kazakhstan: $12.2 million (down -74.3%)
- Russia: $2.7 million (down -80.7%)
- Mexico: $1,000 (down -50%)
- United Kingdom: $1,000 (down 0%)
By value, the listed countries shipped 100% of wheat imported by mainland China in 2022.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of wheat to China since 2021 were: Australia (up 143.6%) and France (up 41.7%).
Posting the severest percentage declines in furnishing wheat to China were: Russia (down -80.7% from 2021), Kazakhstan (down -74.3%), United States of America (down -69.2%) and Mexico (down -50%).
Overall, the value of China’s imported wheat increased by an average 24.4% from all supplying countries since 2021 when wheat purchased cost $3 billion.
Global Wheat Imports into Türkiye
Below are the 15 suppliers from which Türkiye imported the highest dollar value worth of wheat during 2022. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country from 2021 to 2022.
- Russia: US$2.4 billion (up 28.1% from 2021)
- Ukraine: $719.3 million (up 52.6%)
- Brazil: $52.8 million (2021 data unavailable)
- Mexico: $35 million (up 80.4%)
- Bulgaria: $32.8 million (up 43.8%)
- Kazakhstan: $27 million (up 79.9%)
- Moldova: $23.8 million (down -80.4%)
- Argentina: $22.5 million (2021 data unavailable)
- Syria: $15 million (up 9.7%)
- Latvia: $15 million (2021 data unavailable)
- Romania: $13 million (down -43.6%)
- Canada: $2.1 million (down -97.3%)
- Lebanon: $707,000 (down -30%)
- Greece: $701,000 (down -98.8%)
- Cyprus: $388,000 (down -76.4%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 99.99% of wheat imported by Türkiye in 2022.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of wheat to Türkiye since 2021 were: Mexico (up 80.4%), Kazakhstan (up 79.9%), Ukraine (up 52.6%) and Bulgaria (up 43.8%).
Countries that experienced declines in the value of their wheat supplied to Turkish importers included: Greece (down -98.8%), Canada (down -97.3%), Moldova (down -80.4%) and Cyprus (down -76.4%).
Overall, the value of Türkiye’s imported wheat rose by an average 24.6% from all supplying countries since 2021 when wheat purchased cost $2.7 billion.
Searchable List of Wheat Importing Countries in 2022
Collectively, the 100 key importers showcased in the database below bought 97.8% of worldwide imports of wheat during 2022 by dollar value.
| Rank | Importer | Wheat Imports | 2021-2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Indonesia | $3,810,400,000 | +7.4% |
| 2. | Egypt | $3,803,009,000 | +54.3% |
| 3. | China | $3,779,735,000 | +24.4% |
| 4. | Türkiye | $3,355,943,000 | +24.6% |
| 5. | Italy | $2,818,727,000 | +22.4% |
| 6. | Algeria | $2,680,233,000 | +13.7% |
| 7. | Philippines | $2,584,090,000 | +32.5% |
| 8. | Morocco | $2,557,830,000 | +60.9% |
| 9. | Japan | $2,525,771,000 | +41.5% |
| 10. | Nigeria | $2,264,172,000 | -17.5% |
| 11. | Brazil | $2,050,125,000 | +22.8% |
| 12. | Spain | $1,830,533,000 | +54.7% |
| 13. | South Korea | $1,786,753,000 | +32.4% |
| 14. | Mexico | $1,548,074,000 | +13% |
| 15. | Germany | $1,459,562,000 | +32.5% |
| 16. | Bangladesh | $1,431,370,000 | -27.3% |
| 17. | Vietnam | $1,331,454,000 | -4% |
| 18. | Netherlands | $1,330,882,000 | +0.2% |
| 19. | Belgium | $1,297,110,000 | +6% |
| 20. | Yemen | $1,010,984,000 | +19.7% |
| 21. | Pakistan | $955,850,000 | +17.3% |
| 22. | Colombia | $885,379,000 | +35.2% |
| 23. | Peru | $880,475,000 | +42.7% |
| 24. | Ethiopia | $865,369,000 | -7.8% |
| 25. | Chile | $813,652,000 | -3% |
| 26. | Uzbekistan | $781,125,000 | +26.8% |
| 27. | United States | $710,962,000 | +75.6% |
| 28. | Tunisia | $690,539,000 | +13.3% |
| 29. | Thailand | $681,697,000 | -14.8% |
| 30. | United Kingdom | $664,307,000 | +4.3% |
| 31. | Kenya | $660,552,000 | +16.4% |
| 32. | Iran | $649,274,000 | -73.9% |
| 33. | South Africa | $636,258,000 | +37.3% |
| 34. | Saudi Arabia | $634,173,000 | +55.7% |
| 35. | Ecuador | $623,770,000 | +25% |
| 36. | Israel | $617,085,000 | +18.3% |
| 37. | Taiwan | $598,057,000 | +36.5% |
| 38. | Malaysia | $595,981,000 | +39.5% |
| 39. | Sudan | $518,552,000 | -0.3% |
| 40. | Portugal | $443,506,000 | +23.8% |
| 41. | Azerbaijan | $436,551,000 | +31.5% |
| 42. | Austria | $432,808,000 | +40% |
| 43. | United Arab Emirates | $402,849,000 | -7.6% |
| 44. | Greece | $400,052,000 | +19.4% |
| 45. | Angola | $384,313,000 | +33.9% |
| 46. | Senegal | $381,966,000 | +47.3% |
| 47. | Ivory Coast | $336,413,000 | +35% |
| 48. | Tanzania | $333,365,000 | +49.7% |
| 49. | Kazakhstan | $331,504,000 | +49.4% |
| 50. | Guatemala | $330,364,000 | +64.7% |
| 51. | Tajikistan | $329,102,000 | +23.8% |
| 52. | Mauritania | $322,482,000 | +46.8% |
| 53. | Romania | $315,548,000 | +22.7% |
| 54. | Jordan | $301,184,000 | +0.6% |
| 55. | Cameroon | $295,305,000 | -10.4% |
| 56. | Dominican Republic | $285,288,000 | +42.3% |
| 57. | Poland | $280,146,000 | +79.4% |
| 58. | Mozambique | $266,413,000 | +5.6% |
| 59. | Iraq | $256,810,000 | +570.4% |
| 60. | New Zealand | $251,552,000 | +51.8% |
| 61. | Switzerland | $249,045,000 | +67.1% |
| 62. | Sri Lanka | $228,528,000 | -47.2% |
| 63. | Lebanon | $227,823,000 | -3.2% |
| 64. | Venezuela | $216,449,000 | +12.1% |
| 65. | Afghanistan | $208,200,000 | +56.8% |
| 66. | Ghana | $204,679,000 | -16.8% |
| 67. | Latvia | $187,122,000 | +23% |
| 68. | Democr. Rep. Congo | $178,692,000 | +8.1% |
| 69. | Kuwait | $173,628,000 | +10.6% |
| 70. | Oman | $153,298,000 | -66.6% |
| 71. | Hungary | $150,473,000 | +202.8% |
| 72. | El Salvador | $140,319,000 | -29.4% |
| 73. | Honduras | $129,669,000 | +44.5% |
| 74. | Turkmenistan | $122,985,000 | +66.8% |
| 75. | Guinea | $121,326,000 | +14.4% |
| 76. | Norway | $110,722,000 | +9.4% |
| 77. | Costa Rica | $110,520,000 | +18.4% |
| 78. | Bosnia/Herzegovina | $104,157,000 | +35.5% |
| 79. | Cuba | $102,488,000 | -33% |
| 80. | Armenia | $102,231,000 | +63.9% |
| 81. | Myanmar | $101,672,000 | -29.9% |
| 82. | Papua New Guinea | $97,484,000 | +23.1% |
| 83. | Libya | $95,267,000 | -75% |
| 84. | Burkina Faso | $94,952,000 | +26.4% |
| 85. | Uganda | $94,603,000 | -52.2% |
| 86. | Ireland | $94,108,000 | +19.6% |
| 87. | Mali | $94,040,000 | +12% |
| 88. | Haiti | $88,835,000 | +15.2% |
| 89. | Nicaragua | $84,563,000 | +101.3% |
| 90. | France | $79,200,000 | -11.2% |
| 91. | Fiji | $78,676,000 | +49.4% |
| 92. | Jamaica | $78,472,000 | +35.9% |
| 93. | Singapore | $77,803,000 | +21% |
| 94. | Djibouti | $76,777,000 | -10.8% |
| 95. | Panama | $72,347,000 | +43.2% |
| 96. | Denmark | $71,846,000 | +69.2% |
| 97. | Rwanda | $71,232,000 | +16.9% |
| 98. | Botswana | $70,734,000 | +70.1% |
| 99. | Madagascar | $68,819,000 | +6.8% |
| 100. | Zimbabwe | $66,556,000 | -17.4% |
You can change the presentation order by clicking the triangle icon at the top of any of the columns above. An entry of 0% in the right-most column means that no 2021 data is available.
Among the 100 major markets for imported wheat, the fastest growing demand came from: Iraq (up 570.4% from 2021), Hungary (up 202.8%), Nicaragua (up 101.3%), Poland (up 79.4%) then the United States of America (up 75.6%.
See also Average Wheat Prices Compared for Biggest Wheat Export Countries, Wheat Exports by Country, America’s Top Trading Partners, Corn Exports by Country and Barley Exports by Country
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Imports – Commodities. Accessed on July 20, 2023
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on July 20, 2023
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on July 20, 2023
