Reviewed by Elena P. · Last Updated October 6, 2026 · How we review
China is the world’s largest honey producer by a wide margin: mainland China produced 444,800 tonnes in 2024, about 22% of the world’s 1.99 million tonnes. India was second with 146,000 tonnes, ahead of Türkiye, Ethiopia and Iran. The United States ranked ninth. Every figure below comes from FAOSTAT, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s statistics database, in its December 2025 release, which covers production through 2024.
Key Takeaways
- The world produced 1,987,520 tonnes of natural honey in 2024, up 13% from 2014.
- China produced about three times as much as India, and the top 10 countries made 59% of the world’s honey.
- India rose from 105,000 to 146,000 tonnes in one year, passing Türkiye. Its 2024 figure is official; the 2023 number was an FAO estimate.
- About a third of the top-15 figures are FAO estimates or imputations, not national reports, so treat close ranks as approximate.
- U.S. beekeepers produced 60,960 tonnes in 2024, while the U.S. imported 254,926 tonnes, more than any other country.
Table of Contents
- The Top 15 Honey Producers in 2024
- Why the Ranking Looks Like This
- Where the United States Ranks, and Why It Imports
- Producing Honey vs. Exporting It
- Why Other Rankings Show Different Numbers
- Frequently Asked Questions
The Top 15 Honey Producers in 2024
The table ranks countries by FAOSTAT’s “natural honey” production for 2024, the latest year published. The last column shows how FAOSTAT got each number: an official national figure, an FAO estimate, or a value FAO imputed because no usable report arrived.
| Rank | Country | Tonnes, 2024 | Share of world | Change since 2014 | FAOSTAT source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China (mainland) | 444,800 | 22.4% | -4% | Official |
| 2 | India | 146,000 | 7.3% | +136% | Official |
| 3 | Türkiye | 95,492 | 4.8% | -8% | Official |
| 4 | Ethiopia | 85,960 | 4.3% | +76% | Imputed |
| 5 | Iran | 80,249 | 4.0% | +3% | Estimate |
| 6 | Argentina | 69,298 | 3.5% | -9% | Estimate |
| 7 | Brazil | 67,314 | 3.4% | +75% | Official |
| 8 | Russia | 65,455 | 3.3% | -13% | Imputed |
| 9 | United States | 60,960 | 3.1% | -25% | Official |
| 10 | Mexico | 57,430 | 2.9% | -5% | Official |
| 11 | Ukraine | 53,490 | 2.7% | -20% | Official |
| 12 | Canada | 35,460 | 1.8% | -9% | Official |
| 13 | Spain | 33,181 | 1.7% | +3% | Official |
| 14 | Tanzania | 31,902 | 1.6% | +6% | Estimate |
| 15 | Germany | 31,800 | 1.6% | +57% | Official |
| World | 1,987,520 | 100% | +13% |
Source: FAOSTAT crops and livestock products, item “Natural honey,” December 2025 release. Shares and changes are our arithmetic. “China (mainland)” excludes Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao; FAOSTAT’s all-China total is 456,024 tonnes.
By region, Asia produced 46.5% of the world’s honey in 2024, Europe 22.1%, the Americas 17.3%, Africa 12.6% and Oceania 1.5%.
Why the Ranking Looks Like This
China: huge, flat and export-heavy
China’s output has barely moved in a decade: 462,028 tonnes in 2014, a peak of 555,000 in 2016, and 444,800 in 2024. It is also the biggest exporter. FAOSTAT’s trade data show China shipped 169,573 tonnes in 2024, about 38% of what it produced, which is why Chinese honey sits at the center of the trade disputes covered in our explainer on honey laundering and transshipment fraud.
India: the fastest climber among the leaders
India’s figure more than doubled from 61,961 tonnes in 2014. Part of the 2024 jump coincides with FAOSTAT switching from its own estimate to an official Indian figure, so the one-year leap should be read with care. The government’s own number is close: a November 2025 Press Information Bureau backgrounder on the National Beekeeping and Honey Mission says India produced about 1.4 lakh (140,000) tonnes in 2024. It names Uttar Pradesh (17%), West Bengal (16%), Punjab (14%), Bihar (12%) and Rajasthan (9%) as the main producing states, and mustard, eucalyptus, lychee and sunflower honey among its exports.
Türkiye: big, but mostly eaten at home
Türkiye was second in 2022 and 2023 but fell 17% in 2024, to 95,492 tonnes, its lowest total in the decade shown above. It exported only 8,601 tonnes in 2024, about 9% of production, so its rank reflects a large domestic honey market more than export trade.
Ethiopia and Africa: rising, but often imputed
Ethiopia is Africa’s largest producer. FAOSTAT ranks it fourth for 2024, but that figure, like 2023’s, is imputed by FAO, and earlier values swing widely, from 150,258 tonnes in 2019 to 52,034 in 2022. Ethiopia recorded only 7 tonnes of exports in 2024, so nearly all of its honey stays in the country, much of it in the tradition described in our guide to Ethiopian beekeeping and tej.
“African honeybees have shown remarkable resilience against parasites and pathogens that cause significant losses elsewhere.”
Africa as a whole produced 251,112 tonnes in 2024, 12.6% of world output.
The rest of the top 10
Iran and Argentina are carried at FAO estimates. Argentina is the clearest export producer on the list: its 78,375 tonnes of exports in 2024 exceeded its estimated production, which suggests the estimate is low or older stocks were sold. Brazil climbed 75% in ten years on official figures, while Russia and Mexico have stayed between about 51,000 and 70,000 tonnes a year since 2015.
Where the United States Ranks, and Why It Imports
The U.S. ranked ninth in 2024 with 60,960 tonnes, the same as the 134.4 million pounds in the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) Honey report released March 13, 2026. That report puts 2025 production at 115.7 million pounds, about 52,500 tonnes, the details of which we cover in what the 2025 USDA honey data shows. That is less than every country ranked 2nd through 11th produced in 2024, although their 2025 figures are not yet published.
Imports fill the gap. FAOSTAT records 254,926 tonnes of U.S. honey imports in 2024, about 4.2 times domestic output. Subtracting the 8,658 tonnes the U.S. exported, imports made up roughly 83% of the honey available that year, by our arithmetic, ignoring stock changes.
“Imports have exceeded domestic honey production since 2005 and accounted for 74 percent of total U.S. honey supplies in 2021.”
The same ERS note says commercial beekeepers have shifted toward pollination, particularly almonds, and away from honey. For the longer decline in yield per colony, see honey production trends; for how imports shape prices and labels, see how the U.S. honey industry works.
Producing Honey vs. Exporting It
The biggest producers are not always the biggest sellers abroad. FAOSTAT trade data for 2024:
| Country | Exports, 2024 (t) | Production, 2024 (t) | Exports as share of production |
|---|---|---|---|
| China (mainland) | 169,573 | 444,800 | 38% |
| India | 94,778 | 146,000 | 65% |
| Ukraine | 85,812 | 53,490 | 160% |
| Argentina | 78,375 | 69,298 | 113% |
| Viet Nam | 45,359 | 25,463 | 178% |
| Brazil | 37,931 | 67,314 | 56% |
| Türkiye | 8,601 | 95,492 | 9% |
Where exports exceed recorded production, the gap can come from stocks carried over, under-counted production, or re-exports. Either way, it shows how soft some production numbers are. For the paperwork behind these flows, see the honey export process.
Why Other Rankings Show Different Numbers
- Different years. Many lists still use 2020 or 2022 data, in which Türkiye is second and India anywhere from third to eighth.
- Revisions. FAO’s May 2025 World Bee Day release gave 1,894,000 tonnes for 2023; the December 2025 FAOSTAT release shows 1,959,431. It also called Ethiopia tenth in the world, while the current data put it fourth.
- China’s definition. Some lists use the all-China total (456,024 tonnes in 2024), others mainland China (444,800).
- Estimates. Figures for Ethiopia, Iran, Argentina and Russia are FAO estimates or imputations and can change when national data arrive.
China’s first place holds under every version.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which country produces the most honey in the world?
China. Mainland China produced 444,800 tonnes in 2024, about 22% of world output and roughly three times India’s total.
How much honey does the world produce each year?
About 1.99 million tonnes. FAOSTAT records 1,987,520 tonnes for 2024 and 1,959,431 for 2023.
Is world honey production growing?
Slowly. FAOSTAT’s world total rose from 1,759,630 tonnes in 2014 to 1,987,520 in 2024, about 13% in ten years, and India, Ethiopia and Brazil account for about two-thirds of the net increase.
Where does the United States rank in honey production?
Ninth in 2024, with 60,960 tonnes. The U.S. is also the world’s largest honey importer.
Which U.S. state produces the most honey?
North Dakota, with 30.8 million pounds in 2025, according to USDA NASS.
Which country exports the most honey?
China, with 169,573 tonnes in 2024. India was second at 94,778 tonnes.
What is the largest honey producer in Africa?
Ethiopia, with 85,960 tonnes in 2024 by FAO’s imputation. Tanzania was next, at an estimated 31,902 tonnes.
Which country produces the best honey?
No official ranking exists, and volume says nothing about quality. Flavor depends on floral source; see local vs. imported honey.
The Bottom Line
China leads every version of the ranking; below it, check the data year and source flag before quoting a rank. To check any figure here, filter the FAOSTAT production database for “Natural honey.”
