Almonds are one of the most beneficial nuts on the planet Earth, if not the most at all. They are also among the highest-producing nuts among what are known as tree nuts. In this topic, we review the 7 largest countries that produce, export and import almonds in the world.
Global tree nut production reached more than 5.3 million metric tons during the 2022-2023 season, and the volume of almond production was much higher during that period. It exceeded 1.4 million metric tons, ahead of walnuts and cashews, which ranked second and third, respectively, during the same period, and the production volume of both exceeded one million metric tons, according to the Statista statistics platform.
The United States has the largest share in the global almond market, and according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Foreign Agriculture Service of the US Department of Agriculture, the United States is the main producer of almonds in the world, as it produced 1.18 million metric tons in the 2023-2024 season, which is It represents 78% of the world's almond production that year.
Among the most prominent factors that help the United States in this field are: Favorable climate with fertile soil, abundant sunshine, and advanced equipment is required to be used during growing, harvesting, processing and packing in the country which helps boost almond production.
The following is a list of the top 7 almond-producing countries in the world for the 2023-2024 season, according to what was reported by the Foreign Agricultural Service of the US Department of Agriculture: United States: 1.18 million metric tons, European Union countries: 147.7 thousand metric tons, Australia: 140 thousand metric tons, Türkiye: 20 thousand metric tons, Chile: 11.5 thousand metric tons, China: 5 thousand metric tons, India: 4.2 thousand metric tons.
Almonds that are exported and imported are divided into two types: almonds with shell and almonds without shell. Below we present to you two lists of the largest countries exporting both types of almonds in 2023 according to World Bank statistics: Almonds without skin: United States: $2.92 billion, Spain: $524.1 million, Australia: $323.2 million, Türkiye: $156 million, Germany: $137.1 million, Netherlands: $116.7 million, Italy: $69.4 million.
Almonds in shell: United States: $1.31 billion, Australia: $141.6 million, Portugal: $42.5 million, Spain: $12.9 million, Italy: $9.3 million, Hong Kong: $6.5 million, China: $4.8 million.
These are the largest importing countries for both types of almonds (with and without skin) in 2023, according to World Bank data and statistics: Almonds in shell: India: $937.9 million, China: $221.1 million, Nigeria: $26.5 million, Spain: $20 million, Türkiye: $17.7 million, Hong Kong: $9 million, Ukraine: $7.5 million.
Without crust: European Union countries control the largest share of the global import of almonds due to their developed food industries and the population’s desire to consume products that are made from almonds. Germany: $462 million, Spain: $415.2 million, Italy: $304.7 million, France: $232.2 million, Türkiye: $229.2 million, China: $202.7 million, Japan: $202.3 million.
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 skin), the most notable of which, according to World Bank statistics for the year 2023: Morocco: $1.2 million, Jordan: $1.19 million, Bahrain: 14.6 thousand dollars.
As for shelled almonds, the most prominent Arab country exporting in 2023, according to the previous source, is Jordan, which exported an amount of 418.2 thousand dollars.
The history of almonds dates back to before Christ, and almonds were a valuable ingredient in the bread served to the pharaohs in Egypt. Its exact origin is not known, but it is believed that it dates back to China and Central Asia. Explorers ate almonds while traveling on the Silk Road between Asia and the Mediterranean. For a short period, almond trees flourished in the Mediterranean, especially in Spain and Italy.
In ancient Rome, newlyweds were sprinkled with almonds, and it was considered at that time a fertility talisman, similar to the current custom of giving sweetened almonds at weddings and holidays in many countries and cultures of the world, according to the Almond Council in the American state of California.
Around the year 1700, Franciscan monks brought the almond tree from Spain to the state of California on the New Continent (America), but circumstances stopped successful cultivation until the following century, according to the previous source.
The state of California is the largest producer of almonds, as it grows most of the almonds produced in the United States, which is the most important agricultural export in the state of California, and the largest crop of tree nuts in terms of total dollar value and cultivated area, according to the previous source.
