Olives are a seriously underrated part of the culinary world. When used to build a charcuterie board, they add amazing flavor contrast with their delightfully tangy and sharp flavor. They are quite versatile, and can be used as garnishes for cocktails, turned into cold-pressed olive oil, and so much more. While many appreciate the beauty of olives, few actually know where olives are mass produced.
Many assume Greece, but Spain is the country that produces the most olives: Each year, Spain produces nearly 6 million metric tons. This is nearly twice as much as Italy, the country in second place, which produces over 2 million metric tons of olives each year. Spain has been dominating olive production for quite some time, too, reaching 5.2 million metric tons produced back in 2017. There are a handful of countries that produce more than 1 million metric tons of olives per year, but Spain is the only one to consistently peak above 5 million metric tons on a yearly basis.
Olive production around the world
Spain and Italy consistently take first and second place for the most olives produced each year, followed closely by Morocco, which tends to fall just short of producing 2 million metric tons. Turkey and Greece also consistently produce a lot of olives, typically falling between 1 and 2 million metric tons produced each year. Other countries of note include Egypt and Portugal, both of which tend to teeter right on the 1 million metric ton line.
What’s interesting about olive production across these countries is that olive oil production appears to be directly correlated to them. Spain continues to lead the charge here, with over 750,000 metric tons of olive oil produced in 2024. That’s more than triple the other leading countries, Italy and Turkey, which produced 288,900 and 210,000 metric tons of olive oil respectively. This correlation may stem from the fact that you can’t actually eat fresh olives; they need to be cured or made into olive oil to be palatable. Since Spain produces the most olives, it makes sense that the country, in turn, produces the most olive oil.
