Worldwide olive oil production reached a record level of 3.5M tonnes in 2024/25, according to a new study. Image source: Adobe Stock
Worldwide olive oil production reached a record level of 3.5M tonnes in 2024/25, Olive Oil Times wrote, citing a new study.
While still provisional, the figure would be higher than the previous record set in 2021/22, when output totalled 3.415M tonnes, the 26 November report said.
The estimate was also well above the five-year average of 3M tonnes and almost 36% higher than the reduced output seen in 2023/2024.
Published by Spain’s Agrobank in collaboration with the Olive Oil World Congress (OOWC) citing European Commission (EC) data, the study also confirmed the steady expansion of olive oil production outside the EU.
In 2024/2025, non-EU producers accounted for 40% of global output. This compared to a share of 33% in 2021/22, according to International Olive Council (IOC) data.
The Agrobank/OOWC study said that 58 countries across five continents produced olive oil, including newer entrants such as El Salvador, Ethiopia, Kuwait, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and North Macedonia.
The research team also highlighted a rise in olive oil consumption in non-producing countries, which now accounted for approximately 30% of global demand at the time of the report.
Olive oil in these markets typically sells at higher prices and is often positioned in premium segments, according to the report.
Across the Mediterranean, almost 90% of olive oil sales moved through large retailers, with 60%-70% sold under private-label brands, Olive Oil Times wrote.
The report estimated that 5% of Mediterranean sales fell into the higher quality segment, a share that had stabilised and was growing slightly each year, forming a niche for specialist producers.
Acknowledging that global olive oil consumption had recently flattened or declined, the authors said EC data showed that, after years of steady growth from 2015, demand had stabilised at around 3M tonnes before softening in the last few years.
Both EU and non-EU markets had contributed to this trend: EU consumption for 2024/2025 was projected at 1.42M tonnes, while non-EU markets were expected to reach 1.64M tonnes, reflecting modest gains.
The data indicated a mature global market undergoing short-term demand adjustments shaped by supply chain efficiency, food cultures and the pricing of competing commodities, Olive Oil Times wrote.
Focusing on Spain, the report confirmed the country once again led global production in 2024/2025. Spain’s olive-growing area spanned 2.7M ha – part of the roughly 11.7M ha planted worldwide.
Approximately 400,000 people in Spain owned olive groves, with 69% located in rainfed, low-yield or sloping areas.
Alongside its vast traditional groves, Spain has driven the global expansion of irrigated intensive and super-intensive systems, according to the report.
These orchards – concentrated in Andalusia and Extremadura - had mechanised harvesting rates above 90% and densities of 1,600 to 2,000 trees/ha.
Such approaches were increasingly being adopted worldwide, often paired with advanced farming techniques, Olive Oil Times wrote.
Water availability remained a key constraint but in Spain, tools such as GPS-guided planting and sensor-based irrigation now covered most cultivated areas.
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