Honey around the world: who produces it and who buys it

Who produces the most

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) puts world honey production in 2023 at roughly 1,894 thousand tonnes. China is far ahead with about 460,000 tonnes. According to the data overviews that republish FAO figures, well behind come Türkiye (95,000–115,000 tonnes depending on the overview), Iran, Argentina, India and Ethiopia with 70,000–85,000 tonnes each; the order within this group differs between sources. Russia, Brazil, the United States, Mexico and Ukraine follow with 58,000–65,000 tonnes each.

Largest honey producers in 2023 (tonnes)

China463,500 t

Türkiye114,890 t

Ethiopia84,590 t

Iran80,400 t

Argentina73,400 t

India70,900 t

Russia64,500 t

Brazil64,200 t

United States62,860 t

Mexico58,000 t

FAOSTAT data via the Knoema and Tridge overviews; country values differ slightly between overviews. World production of 1.89 million t according to FAO.

Africa is where production is growing fastest. The FAO says the continent now accounts for about 12% of the world harvest, around 223,000 tonnes a year, and has the highest growth rate of any region. Ethiopia is Africa’s largest producer, with Tanzania, Angola and Kenya also significant.

The number of colonies is rising too. FAOSTAT data show about 102 million managed colonies worldwide in 2022, up from just under 59 million in 2000. The European Union has around 20 million hives and, according to the European Commission, produced some 285,000 tonnes of honey in 2023.

Why honey prices differ so much between countries

The price gaps are striking. World trade statistics (UN Comtrade) show that in 2023 China exported over 150,000 tonnes of honey at an average of about 1.7 US dollars per kilogram and Argentina at about 2.4 dollars, while New Zealand shipped under 10,000 tonnes at almost 25 dollars a kilogram.

Costs matter a great deal. The European Commission reports that the average cost of producing a kilogram of honey in the EU rose from 3.21 euros in 2015 to 3.90 euros in 2018. Imported honey arrives far more cheaply: the average import price in 2023 works out at about 2.2 euros a kilogram, and the Commission says it fell to 1.89 euros in the first half of 2024. European beekeepers have repeatedly argued that honey simply cannot be produced in Europe at such prices.

Part of the gap has a less innocent explanation. In a coordinated European Commission check in 2021–2022, 46% of 320 samples taken at EU borders were suspected of breaching EU honey rules, most often because of added sugar syrups. China accounted for the largest number of suspicious consignments, Türkiye had the highest proportion, and every sample from the United Kingdom – where honey from elsewhere is blended and re-exported – was flagged.

Scientific literature also describes harvesting unripe, high-moisture honey and then drying it industrially with heat. This saves labour and raises output, but it lowers quality, and it is one of the signs that import controls look for.

Where the honey goes

According to the Observatory of Economic Complexity, international trade in honey was worth about 2.2 billion dollars in 2023, a fifth less than the year before. The leading exporters by value are New Zealand, China, Argentina and India, followed by Ukraine and Germany, which processes imported honey and sells it on. The largest buyer is the United States (over half a billion dollars), followed by Germany, Japan, France and the United Kingdom.

Largest honey exporters in 2023 (export value)

China254 million USD

New Zealand243 million USD

Argentina178 million USD

India171 million USD

Ukraine121 million USD

Germany125 million USD

WITS / UN Comtrade; Ukraine from Ukrainian customs data, Germany from OEC. The order of China and New Zealand differs between sources.

The United States imports about 80% of the honey it consumes; in 2023 most came from India, Argentina, Brazil and Vietnam. The European Union imported 163,700 tonnes from outside the bloc in 2023, worth 359 million euros: 37% from China, 28% from Ukraine and 12% from Argentina. EU production covers only about 60% of consumption. When duty-free imports from Ukraine surged in 2024, the EU applied the so-called emergency brake to Ukrainian honey and reinstated tariff quotas.

Czechia has more beekeepers per head of population than any other EU country, yet it is not self-sufficient in honey. According to Ministry of Agriculture statistics, 5,202 tonnes were harvested in 2025 and 6,312 tonnes imported. In 2024 domestic production covered about 67% of consumption; the average person eats around a kilogram of honey a year. New EU rules, adopted in Czechia by Decree No. 490/2025, replace the vague label ‘blend of EU and non-EU honeys’ with a list of the actual countries of origin.

Honey around the world: who produces it and who buys it

Who produces the most

Why honey prices differ so much between countries

Where the honey goes

Sources