The Country That Produces The Most Avocados

It sometimes seems as though avocados are everywhere, from countless brunch dishes to tasty homemade guacamole humming with zingy lime and hot jalapeño. And that perception isn't unfounded. We really are eating more of the creamy green fruit than ever, especially in recent years. The U.S. alone consumed over 2.7 billion pounds of avocados in 2022 — six times the 436 million pounds we were getting through in 1985 (per Statista).

Since the avocado is a native fruit in Mexico and Central America, you'd probably instinctively assume that these areas produce the highest amount of the berry. And you'd be right, since about 30% of the world's avocados come from Mexico, with Colombia and Peru taking second and third place in terms of global production. 

As demand for the versatile food continues to grow, Mexico is likely to see its production increasing even further in the coming years, as will other leading areas. According to predictions from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)'s Agricultural Outlook 2021-2030, avocados are expected to overtake both pineapples and mangoes to become the most traded major tropical fruit globally by 2030. It seems nobody can resist the appeal of a perfectly ripe avocado (but if you do have too many, you can absolutely freeze them).

While there are many different types of avocados, Mexico is both the leading producer and exporter of the fruit across the globe. The volume produced by the country has more than doubled over the last 10 years, and, in 2022, stood at a whopping 2.54 million metric tons (per Statista). In 2023, that volume equated to an export value of $2.84 billion.

Most of the avocado production is centered around one state: Michoacán. In 2022, almost three-quarters of the avocados produced in Mexico came from the west-central state, which produced over 1.8 million metric tons of the fruit that year alone (per Statista). The state that produces the second-highest amount is Jalisco, which accounts for roughly 12% of the country's production.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the U.S. is the largest import market for avocados from Mexico. In 2020, Mexico exported around $2.4 billion worth of the fruit, mostly to the USA. As a result of international demand, Mexico's output is forecast to grow substantially, and the market share of avocados coming from the country is predicted to reach 63% by 2030 (via OECD/FAO Agricultural Outlook 2021-2030). But it's not just about exports. People in Mexico are eating more of the delicious fruit, too; the country consumed 32% more in 2022 than in 2021 (per Statista). 

While Mexico is by far the leading producer of avocados, it's not the only place they come from. Across the globe, there were almost 9 million metric tons of avocados produced in 2022; in 2000, this number was below 3 million metric tons, showing just how vast the increase has been (per Statista).

Colombia and Peru provide 12% and 9% of the fruits globally, and, in 2022, they produced over a million and 866,000 tons respectively (per Development Aid). While the U.S. imports the most avocados from Mexico, Peru is the most common supplier for Europe, with the most popular export being the Hass variety.

After these three locations, the next most prolific avocado producers are the Dominican Republic, Kenya, Indonesia, and Brazil. Chile and Israel make up the rest of the list. While the U.S. was one of the top 10 producers in 2012, it has dropped out in more recent years. Though over 117,000 tons of the fruit were still grown in California — the state which produces the most in the country — in 2023 — no small number (per Statista).