The 7 largest almond producing, exporting and importing countries in the world | Economy

Almonds are one of the most beneficial nuts on the planet, if not the most beneficial, and they are also among the highest-producing nuts among what are known as tree nuts. In this article, we review the 7 largest almond producing, exporting and importing countries in the world.

Global tree nut production reached over 5.3 million metric tons during the 2022-23 season, with almond production being by far the highest during the period, exceeding 1.4 million metric tons, ahead of walnuts and cashews, which ranked second and third respectively during the same period, both exceeding 1 million metric tons, according to Statista.

American production

The United States has the largest share of the global almond market, and according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Foreign Agricultural Service of the United States Department of Agriculture, the United States is the world’s leading producer of almonds, producing 1.18 million metric tons in the 2023-24 season, which represents 78% of the world’s almond production that year.

The most prominent factors that help the United States in this area are:

• Suitable climate with fertile soil.
• Abundant sunshine.
• Advanced equipment is required to be used during growing, harvesting, processing and packing in the country which helps to boost almond production.

The world’s largest almond producers

Here is a list of the world’s top 7 almond producing countries for the 2023-2024 season, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service:

1. United States: 1.18 million metric tons.
2. EU countries: 147.7 thousand metric tons.
3. Australia: 140,000 metric tons.
4. Türkiye: 20 thousand metric tons.
5. Chile: 11.5 thousand metric tons.
6. China: 5,000 metric tons.
7. India: 4.2 thousand metric tons.

The world’s largest exporters of almonds

Exported and imported almonds are divided into two types, shelled almonds and shellless almonds. Below we present to you two lists of the largest exporting countries of both types of almonds in 2023 according to World Bank statistics:

Almonds without shell:

1. United States: $2.92 billion.
2. Spain: $524.1 million.
3. Australia: $323.2 million.
4. Türkiye: $156 million.
5. Germany: $137.1 million.
6. Netherlands: $116.7 million.
7. Italy: $69.4 million.

Almonds in shell:

1. United States: $1.31 billion.
2. Australia: $141.6 million.
3. Portugal: $42.5 million.
4. Spain: $12.9 million.
5. Italy: $9.3 million.
6. Hong Kong: $6.5 million.
7. China: $4.8 million.

Top 7 Importers of Almonds in the World

These are the largest importing countries of almonds of both types (with and without shell) in 2023, according to data and statistics from the World Bank:

Almonds in shell:

1. India: $937.9 million.
2. China: $221.1 million.
3. Nigeria: $26.5 million.
4. Spain: $20 million.
5. Türkiye: $17.7 million.
6. Hong Kong: $9 million.
7. Ukraine: $7.5 million.

Without crust:

The European Union countries control the largest share of the global import volume of almonds due to their advanced food industries and the population’s desire to consume products that contain almonds.

1. Germany: $462 million.
2. Spain: $415.2 million.
3. Italy: $304.7 million.
4. France: $232.2 million.
5. Türkiye: $229.2 million.
6. China: $202.7 million.
7. Japan: $202.3 million.

The most prominent Arab countries exporting almonds

Arab countries are not among the largest producers and exporters of almonds in the world. However, some Arab countries produce and export quantities of almonds (without the shell), the most prominent of which, according to World Bank statistics for the year 2023:

1. Morocco: $1.2 million.
2. Jordan: $1.19 million.
3. Bahrain: $14.6 thousand.

As for almonds with shells, the most prominent Arab exporting country in 2023, according to the previous source, is Jordan, which exported an amount of $418.2 thousand.

Facts you may not know about almonds

• Almonds date back to BC, and were a prized ingredient in bread served to the pharaohs in Egypt. Their exact origin is unknown, but it is believed to have originated in China and Central Asia. Explorers ate almonds while traveling the Silk Road between Asia and the Mediterranean. Soon after, almond trees flourished in the Mediterranean, especially in Spain and Italy.
• In ancient Rome, newlyweds were showered with almonds, which was considered a fertility charm, similar to the current custom of giving sweetened almonds at weddings and holidays in many countries and cultures around the world, according to the Almond Board of California.
• Around 1700, Franciscan monks brought the almond tree from Spain to California in the New World (America), but circumstances prevented successful cultivation until the following century, according to the previous source.
• California is the largest producer of almonds, growing most of the United States’ almonds, California’s most important agricultural export, and the largest tree nut crop in terms of total dollar value and planted area, according to the previous source.