Table of contents
- Olive oil statistics at a glance
- Global production, consumption, and trade
- Who produces the most olive oil
- U.S. olive oil statistics
- What the recent forecast shift means
- Table olive production and market context
Olive oil statistics at a glance
Olive oil has moved from a niche pantry item to a globally traded staple, and the latest figures show a market that is still large, still concentrated, and still sensitive to weather, harvest swings, and import flows.
The most important pattern in the data is simple: production bounced around sharply across recent crop years, while consumption kept pushing toward the same broad range of demand. That tension explains why prices, imports, and production forecasts matter so much in olive oil statistics (IOC December 2024; IOC December 2025; USDA ERS Oil Crops Outlook Nov 2024).
Fast facts
- 2,760,000 tonnes of global olive oil production in the 2022/23 crop year (IOC December 2024).
- 2,564,000 tonnes of world production in 2023/24, down 7% (IOC December 2024).
- 2,780,000 tonnes of world olive oil consumption in 2023/24 (IOC December 2024).
- 1,015,000 tonnes of world olive oil imports in 2023/24 (IOC December 2024).
- The United States is the leading global importer of olive oil (USDA ERS Oil Crops Outlook Nov 2024).
Why it matters
- Production volatility can quickly ripple into trade and pricing.
- The European Union and nearby Mediterranean producers still anchor the supply base.
- U.S. demand is structurally large compared with domestic output, so imports remain essential (USDA ERS Oil Crops Outlook Nov 2024; USDA ERS Chart of Note Dec 2024).
Global production, consumption, and trade
The broad global picture is one of a market that can look balanced in one year and tight the next. In 2023/24, world production was 2,564,000 tonnes, while consumption reached 2,780,000 tonnes and imports totaled 1,015,000 tonnes (IOC December 2024).
That gap matters because olive oil is not just produced for local use. It is a traded commodity with a consumption base that stretches well beyond the main producing countries. IOC member countries produced 2,404,000 tonnes in 2023/24, which was 94% of the world total, showing how concentrated supply remains (IOC December 2024).
Recent crop-year comparison
| Crop year | World production | World consumption | World imports | Key note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 2,760,000 tonnes | Not listed | Not listed | Production peak in the supplied dataset (IOC December 2024) |
| 2023/24 | 2,564,000 tonnes | 2,780,000 tonnes | 1,015,000 tonnes | Production fell 7% while consumption stayed strong (IOC December 2024) |
| 2024/25 | 3,375,500 tonnes forecast | 3,064,500 tonnes forecast | Not listed | Production expected to rebound 32% (IOC December 2024) |
| 2025/26 | 3,440,000 tonnes estimated | 3,248,000 tonnes projected | Not listed | Production projected down 4%, consumption up 1% (IOC December 2025) |
This table shows the central story in olive oil statistics: supply can swing by hundreds of thousands of tonnes from one crop year to the next, while demand usually moves more gradually. The result is a market that often responds less to one isolated number than to the direction of the next harvest cycle (IOC December 2024; IOC December 2025).
Big number
World production was forecast at 3,375,500 tonnes for 2024/25, up 32% from the prior year (IOC December 2024).
That forecast tells you how quickly the supply side can recover after a weak period. The same dataset also shows world consumption at 3,064,500 tonnes in 2024/25, up 10%, meaning demand was expected to remain firm even as production rebounded (IOC December 2024).
The later IOC outlook kept the story moving forward: 2025/26 world production was estimated at 3,440,000 tonnes, down 4%, while world consumption was projected at 3,248,000 tonnes, up 1% (IOC December 2025). In other words, the market was not settling into a flat pattern. It was still oscillating between recovery and moderation.
What the balance looks like in practice
A useful way to read the numbers is to separate production from use:
- When production dips below consumption, inventories and trade flows become more important.
- When production rebounds sharply, import pressure can ease and prices can soften.
- When a harvest shock hits a major producer, the effects are amplified because the market is geographically concentrated (IOC December 2024; USDA ERS Oil Crops Outlook Nov 2024).
That is why even relatively small percentage changes can matter. A 7% decline in world production in 2023/24 was not just a percentage move; it was a real shift in available supply against a consumption base of 2,780,000 tonnes (IOC December 2024).
Who produces the most olive oil
Production leadership is heavily Mediterranean, but the rankings are not static. Europe produced 1,531,500 tonnes in 2023/24, up 10%, while Spain alone produced 854,000 tonnes, also up 28% (IOC December 2024).
Italy produced 328,500 tonnes, up 36%. Portugal produced 160,900 tonnes, up 28%. Greece produced 175,000 tonnes, down 49%. Türkiye produced 215,000 tonnes, down 52% (IOC December 2024).
Producer comparison
| Country or region | 2023/24 production | Change | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | 1,531,500 tonnes | +10% | Largest regional block in the dataset (IOC December 2024) |
| Spain | 854,000 tonnes | +28% | Clear global leader in the supplied figures (IOC December 2024) |
| Italy | 328,500 tonnes | +36% | Strong rebound year (IOC December 2024) |
| Portugal | 160,900 tonnes | +28% | Smaller base, meaningful growth (IOC December 2024) |
| Greece | 175,000 tonnes | -49% | Sharp contraction year (IOC December 2024) |
| Türkiye | 215,000 tonnes | -52% | Another major swing in output (IOC December 2024) |
| Other IOC member countries | 872,500 tonnes | Not listed | Broad remainder of IOC supply (IOC December 2024) |
The table shows that olive oil is not merely “a Spanish product” or “an Italian product.” Spain is the standout producer, but the broader Mediterranean region supplies the bulk of the market. The concentration is even clearer when you compare IOC-member output with global totals: IOC members produced 2,404,000 tonnes in 2023/24, or 94% of the world total (IOC December 2024).
Stat callout
- Spain’s 854,000 tonnes in 2023/24 is the single most important country figure in the dataset because it sets the tone for Europe’s supply profile (IOC December 2024).
- Greece’s 49% decline and Türkiye’s 52% decline show how quickly the production map can change year to year (IOC December 2024).
Forecast production shift
The 2024/25 forecast makes the rebound even clearer:
- Europe was expected to produce 2,110,000 tonnes, up 36% (IOC December 2025).
- Spain was expected to produce 1,419,000 tonnes, up 66% (IOC December 2025).
- Italy was expected to produce 248,000 tonnes, down 25% (IOC December 2025).
- Greece was expected to produce 250,000 tonnes, up 30% (IOC December 2025).
- Portugal was expected to produce 177,000 tonnes, up 10% (IOC December 2025).
- Türkiye was expected to produce 505,000 tonnes, up 135% (IOC December 2025).
- Tunisia was expected to produce 340,000 tonnes, up 55% (IOC December 2025).
That mix matters because olive oil supply is not driven by one constant trend. One producer can surge while another falls, and the aggregate market can still end up stronger or weaker depending on the size of the moves.
U.S. olive oil statistics
The United States is a major demand center, not a major production center. U.S. olive oil consumption grew from 28,000 tonnes in 1970/71 to more than 400,000 tonnes in the 2020s (USDA ERS Oil Crops Outlook Nov 2024). At the same time, U.S. domestic production covers only about 2% of domestic olive oil consumption (USDA ERS Oil Crops Outlook Nov 2024).
That gap explains why imports dominate the U.S. market. The U.S. is the leading global importer of olive oil, and imports supplied more than 98% of U.S. olive oil consumption despite domestic production gains (USDA ERS Oil Crops Outlook Nov 2024; USDA ERS chart Apr 2024).
U.S. market snapshot
- U.S. olive oil consumption accounts for 13% of global olive oil consumption in the last decade (USDA ERS Oil Crops Outlook Nov 2024).
- The United States ranked 14th in global olive oil production (USDA ERS Oil Crops Outlook Nov 2024).
- U.S. olive oil imports rose from 100,000 tonnes in MY 1990/91 to 410,000 tonnes in MY 2021/22 (USDA ERS Oil Crops Outlook Nov 2024).
- U.S. import prices reached $8,310 per metric ton in MY 2023/24 and more than doubled over the prior 5 years (USDA ERS Oil Crops Outlook Nov 2024).
Those numbers show a market that has become deeply dependent on international supply and price conditions. The import side is not a side story; it is the main story.
California and domestic production
California is the center of U.S. olive production. California bearing olive acreage totaled 40,000 acres in 2023, and about 30% of that acreage was dedicated to table olives (USDA ERS Oil Crops Outlook Nov 2024).
A second pattern is just as important: the use of California olives shifted toward oil. About 70% of California olive production was used for oil by 2022, compared with about 90% used for canned olives between 1980 and 2000 (USDA ERS Fruit and Tree Nuts Outlook / ERS chart Apr 2024; USDA ERS chart Apr 2024).
Key takeaways from the U.S. data
- California’s olive industry accounted for about 84% of U.S. olive acreage (USDA ERS chart Apr 2024).
- California olive oil production rose from 2 million pounds in 2006 to an average of 21 million pounds in 2021-23 (USDA ERS chart Apr 2024).
- Even with that gain, imports still supplied more than 98% of U.S. olive oil consumption (USDA ERS chart Apr 2024).
That combination is telling. Domestic production has expanded, but it has not come close to replacing imports. In practical terms, U.S. olive oil statistics are mostly a story of consumer demand, international sourcing, and price transmission from the Mediterranean to American shelves.
Imports, origin mix, and price pressure
The supplied data also shows how the import mix has evolved. The U.S. olive oil import share from the EU fell to 70% in MY 2022/23, with Turkey, Argentina, and the rest of the world supplying part of the balance after the EU decline (USDA ERS Oil Crops Outlook Nov 2024).
That shift matters because origin diversification can soften but not eliminate supply shocks. When EU production was restricted by drought, olive oil prices hit record highs in the two years before November 2024 (USDA ERS Oil Crops Outlook Nov 2024).
Fast facts
- U.S. olive oil consumption fell 10% over the same period that EU consumption fell 18% from MY 2021/22 to MY 2022/23 (USDA ERS Oil Crops Outlook Nov 2024).
- U.S. organic olive oil imports peaked at 74,000 tonnes in 2019/20 (USDA ERS Oil Crops Outlook Nov 2024).
- That peak represented 26% of total extra virgin and virgin olive oil import volume and value (USDA ERS Oil Crops Outlook Nov 2024).
- 2023/24 marked the lowest U.S. organic olive oil import volume since 2015/16 (USDA ERS Oil Crops Outlook Nov 2024).
- The organic price premium for extra virgin olive oil fell from above 10% in much of 2013/14-2018/19 to near 0% in MY 2023/24 (USDA ERS Oil Crops Outlook Nov 2024).
These figures point to a market where even premium and organic segments are tied closely to broader supply conditions. When prices move sharply, the effects reach across categories.
What the recent forecast shift means
The 2024/25 and 2025/26 forecasts give the clearest view of the market’s near-term direction. They point to a rebound, then a moderation.
Forecast highlights
- 2024/25 world production was estimated at 3,572,000 tonnes, up 38% or 983,000 tonnes (IOC December 2025).
- 2024/25 world consumption was expected at 3,215,000 tonnes, up 15% (IOC December 2025).
- 2024/25 world imports were expected at 1,198,000 tonnes, up 15% (IOC December 2025).
- 2024/25 IOC-member production was expected at 3,392,000 tonnes, or 95% of world output (IOC December 2025).
- 2025/26 world production was estimated at 3,440,000 tonnes, down 4% (IOC December 2025).
- 2025/26 world consumption was projected at 3,248,000 tonnes, up 1% (IOC December 2025).
The most useful way to read these forecasts is as a sequence. First comes the rebound in production, then a smaller step up in consumption, then a slight easing in production again the following year. That is not a collapse. It is a sign of a market trying to normalize after a volatile period (IOC December 2025).
Why this forecast matters
- A stronger harvest year can relieve pricing pressure.
- A follow-on dip can keep the market from becoming complacent.
- Higher imports in 2024/25 suggest global demand remains healthy even after a difficult supply period (IOC December 2025).
Table olive production and market context
Olive oil statistics sit alongside table olive numbers because both products reflect the same agricultural base, but they do not always move together.
In the supplied data, the 2023/24 table olive crop was estimated at 2,828,500 tonnes, down 12% (IOC December 2024). For 2024/25, table olive production was estimated at 3,178,500 tonnes, up 12% (IOC December 2024). Later IOC data put world table olive production in 2024/25 at 3,316,500 tonnes, up 19%, with Egypt accounting for 18% of world table olive production (IOC December 2025).
Table olive snapshot
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2023/24 table olive crop | 2,828,500 tonnes | IOC December 2024 |
| 2024/25 table olive production estimate | 3,178,500 tonnes | IOC December 2024 |
| 2024/25 world table olive production | 3,316,500 tonnes | IOC December 2025 |
| Egypt share of world table olive production | 18% | IOC December 2025 |
| Türkiye table olive production change | +53% | IOC December 2025 |
| Egypt table olive production change | -20% | IOC December 2025 |
Table olives are useful in olive oil statistics because they remind you the crop is multifunctional. The same producing countries can shift fruit between olive oil and table olive channels depending on harvest conditions, economics, and market demand.
The dataset also shows that the sector is not uniformly expanding. Türkiye’s table olive production increased 53% in 2024/25, while Egypt’s table olive production fell 20% in the same year (IOC December 2025). Those opposing moves are another reminder that country-level outcomes can diverge sharply even within one crop cycle.
Reading the numbers without overcomplicating them
A few patterns repeat across the supplied olive oil statistics:
- The market is concentrated in a small set of countries, especially across the Mediterranean (IOC December 2024; IOC December 2025).
- Production can swing sharply from year to year, sometimes by double digits (IOC December 2024; IOC December 2025).
- Consumption is large and relatively steady compared with the harvest cycle, especially in the U.S. and other non-producing markets (USDA ERS Oil Crops Outlook Nov 2024).
- Imports are not a peripheral feature. They are the mechanism that keeps demand supplied when harvests tighten (IOC December 2024; USDA ERS Oil Crops Outlook Nov 2024).
- Price shocks follow supply shocks quickly, especially when drought or other weather issues hit the EU crop base (USDA ERS Oil Crops Outlook Nov 2024).
The overall picture is not just that olive oil is popular. It is that olive oil is globally important, tightly linked to climate-sensitive production, and structurally dependent on trade. The numbers in the dataset make that clear without needing any extra interpretation.