Including Egypt and Saudi Arabia…the top 10 orange producing and importing countries in the world Economy

Written by the editors

Oranges are one of the most popular fruits around the world, due to their taste and high benefits to the body, and the cultivation and production of this fruit constitutes an important part of the global economy. Over the past 30 years, the number of orange varieties grown and eaten has increased by 3.5% annually, and the production and exports of manufactured orange goods have increased by 4.4% due to improved transportation and lower packaging costs.

Oranges represent more than 50% of global citrus production, according to the Mordor Intelligence platform.

High production capabilities and suitable weather conditions contribute to increasing orange production. However, it is greatly affected by several factors, including environmental, biotic stress, and government policies.

Global orange market

Global orange production for the 2023-2024 season is expected to rise slightly to 48.8 million tons, according to the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service, a global network covering about 180 countries.

The size of the global orange market is estimated at approximately $3.84 billion in 2024, and is expected to reach $4.79 billion by 2029, with an annual growth rate of 4.53% during the expected period (2024-2029), according to the “Mordor Intelligence” platform.

According to the United Nations International Trade Statistics database, orange exports have increased significantly in recent years due to the escalation in global consumption, especially the winter season.

Brazil is the largest orange-producing country, and its production in the 2023-2024 season reached about 16.5 million tons, representing 34% of global production. However, it is one of the largest consumers of oranges, as the population consumes more than 100 million boxes annually (a box weighs 40.8 kilograms), i.e. It is equivalent to approximately 30.0% of the country’s orange production, according to what the previous source mentioned.

South Africa is one of the largest producers of oranges, and its exports reached 1.29 million metric tons in 2021, an increase of 3.2% over the previous year.

Oranges are one of the most common types of citrus fruits in South Africa, representing about 60% of total citrus exports and exported to more than 100 countries.

In the Arab world, Egypt is the largest producer of oranges in the region, and it is the fifth global producer, and its production reached 3.7 million tons in the 2023-2024 season, representing 8% of global production.

The 10 largest orange producing countries in the world

The following is a list of the top 10 orange-producing countries for the 2023-2024 season, according to what was reported by the US Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service:

1. Brazil: 16.5 million metric tons (34% of global production)
2. China: 7.63 million metric tons (16%)
3. EU: 5.48 million metric tons (11%)
4. Mexico: 4.87 million metric tons (10%)
5. Egypt: 3.7 million metric tons (8%)
6. United States: 2.54 million metric tons (5%)
7. Türkiye: 1.73 million metric tons (4%)
8. Vietnam: 1.62 million metric tons (approximately 3%)
9. South Africa 1.85 million metric tons (approximately 3%)
10. Argentina: 0.9 million metric tons (2%)

The 10 largest orange exporting countries in the world

The following is a list of the top 10 orange exporting countries in 2022, denominated in US dollars, according to the OEC World platform:

1. Spain: $21 billion (24.3% of oranges exported in the world)
2. South Africa: $807 million (16.2%)
3. Egypt: $758 million (15.3%)
4. United States: $512 million (10.3%)
5. Netherlands: $184 million (3.7%)
6. Australia: $180 million (3.63%)
7. Greece: $139 million (2.79%)
8. Italy: $113 million (2.27%)
9. Türkiye: $106 million (2.13%)
10. Oranges: $105 million (2.12%)

The 10 largest orange importing countries in the world

Below is a list of the top 10 countries importing oranges in the world in 2022, valued in dollars, according to what the previous source mentioned. We note that European countries top this list due to their advanced food industries, which oranges are used in.

1. Germany: $416 million (8.38% of the world’s imported oranges)
2. France: $387 million (7.78%)
3. Netherlands: $321 million (6.46%)
4. China: $238 million (4.78%)
5. Russia: $218 million (4.39%)
6. Canada: $211 million (4,255)
7. United States: $208 million (4.19%)
8. United Kingdom: $174 million (3.51%)
9. Saudi Arabia: $170 million (3.42%)
10. South Korea: $160 million (3.22%)

The 3 largest Arab countries producing oranges

Egypt is the largest Arab country producing oranges in the region, followed by Morocco, which ranks 11th globally. The following is a list of the top 3 Arab countries that produce oranges for the 2023-2024 season, according to what was reported by the US Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service:

1. Egypt: 3.7 million metric tons
2. Morocco: 820 thousand metric tons
3. Iraq: 158 thousand metric tons

The top 5 Arab countries importing oranges

The following is a list of the top 5 Arab countries importing oranges in 2022, valued in dollars, according to the OEC World platform:

1. Saudi Arabia: $170 million
2. UAE: $123 million
3. Jordan: $113 million
4. Iraq: $56.7 million
5. Kuwait: $50.1 million
6. Sultanate of Oman: $48.6 million