Carob Production in the World: Countries and Figures
Carob is a product native to the Mediterranean basin and its production is concentrated in a few countries. Spain, Portugal, Italy, Morocco, Greece, Cyprus and Turkey provide most of the world's production. However, the answer to the question "how much carob is produced in the world?" varies significantly depending on which data source is looked at.
In this article, we juxtapose the current figures in FAO's FAOSTAT database, the estimates given by national sources and the averages in scientific reviews; we explain why the figures do not match each other and what they mean for the sector.
Why is carob production concentrated in a few countries?
The carob tree (Ceratonia siliqua) is a species adapted to the Mediterranean climate, with hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters. In the comprehensive species assessment published in the Journal of Ecology, it is stated that carob is native to the Mediterranean basin, has high tolerance to drought and salinity, and can also grow in calcareous, nutrient-poor soils. The same study points out that commercial fruit production has declined in recent decades.
This climate requirement also determines the geography of production. Since the tree is sensitive to frost, cultivation is squeezed into the coastline and low altitude areas. That's why carob; It is of economic importance in the Valencia and Balearic regions of Spain, the Algarve coast of Portugal, Sicily in Italy, the foothills of the Atlas and Rif mountains of Morocco, Greece, Cyprus and the Mediterranean and Aegean coasts of Turkey.
Another feature of the production is that most of it comes from old orchards and natural trees in traditional, dry farming conditions. In the review published in the Turkish scientific journal Turkish Journal of Botany, the main reasons for the long-term decline in world production are the aging of orchards, the absence of renewal programs and the scarcity of new plantings. For this reason, carob production is more sensitive to annual weather conditions and harvest labor than many other fruits.
What Does FAOSTAT Data Say?
The primary source of agricultural production statistics worldwide is the FAOSTAT database of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Carob is tracked here under the name "Locust beans (carobs)". The figures below are directly taken from FAOSTAT's "Crops and livestock products" dataset, updated in December 2025.
| Country | 2014 (tons) | 2017 (tons) | 2023 (tons) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portugal | 64.895 | 41,328 (estimated) | No data |
| Italy | 31.486 | 28.910 | No data |
| Morocco | 22,169 (estimated) | 22,244 (estimated) | 22,605 (estimated) |
| Turkey | 13.985 | 15.016 | 24.561 |
| Greece | 13.473 | 12.287 | No data |
| Cyprus | 11.034 | 7.475 | No data |
| Lebanon | 2,922 (estimated) | 4.431 | 4,055 (estimated) |
| Algeria | 3.655 | 4.042 | 3,435 (estimated) |
| World total | 166.449 | 138,842 (estimated) | 56,328 (estimated) |
The picture is surprising at first glance: the world total, which was approximately 139 thousand tons in 2017, decreases to 46-57 thousand tons from 2018 onwards. This is not because production has actually fallen to a third. FAOSTAT has no data for Portugal, Italy, Greece and Cyprus after 2017, while for Spain 2018 and beyond is marked as an "incomplete value". In other words, the "world total" after 2018 is a figure calculated without major European producers. The carob article on Wikipedia also gives the world total for 2022 as approximately 56 thousand tons, based on FAOSTAT, and notes that almost all of this total comes from Turkey and Morocco, and that not every country has notified FAOSTAT.
Another detail in the table is Spain. FAOSTAT shows only 887 tons for Spain in 2014 and 1,233 tons in 2017. However, scientific reviews based on data from the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture (MAPA) quote the country's 2021 production as 48,756 tons. This difference indicates that the Spanish range in FAOSTAT does not accurately reflect carob production. Therefore, it would be misleading to read FAOSTAT figures as a "world ranking" alone.
The expression "estimated" next to Morocco's values is also important. FAOSTAT has been publishing Moroccan figures under the flag "I" (value estimated/attributed by an institution) for many years; that is, these are model estimates, not official measurements.
Country Shares in Scientific Reviews
To fill in the gaps in FAOSTAT, researchers combine FAO data with national statistics. Mahdad and Gaouar's 2023 compilation draws the following picture for the period 2012–2021, using data from FAO, the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture (MAPA), and the Italian Statistical Institute (ISTAT):
- The world average production is approximately 183,915 tons per year, and the harvest area is approximately 74,229 hectares
- Spain is first with an average annual output of 44,114 tons (about a quarter of world production)
- Portugal has a share of about 23 percent, Italy has a share of about 17 percent
- Morocco with 22,031 tons, a share of approximately 12 percent
- Turkey ranks fifth with 15,489 tons
- The top four countries provide about 76 percent of world production
The same study also reveals the long-term decline in figures: World production, which was transferred as approximately 650 thousand tons in 1945, decreased to around 184 thousand tons in the 2012-2021 average. Production in Spain, which was given as 420 thousand tons in 1945, decreased to 48,756 tons in 2021, and production in Algeria, which was 24 thousand tons in 1961, decreased to 3,219 tons in 2021.
Another review published in the journal Food Chemistry (Stavrou et al., 2018) cites that between 1994 and 2014, the world carob harvest area fell from about 140,849 hectares to 71,374 hectares, and production from about 219,541 tons to 156,798 tons, based on FAO data. Although different sources look at different years, the common message is the same: carob production has been declining for several decades and is well below its past levels today.
Country by Country Production Table
Spain
It is shown as the world's largest producer in scientific sources and sector statements. Production is concentrated in the Valencia Region, the Balearic Islands and Catalonia. According to the information shared by the Valencian regional government in 2024, there are 16,200 hectares of carob area in the region and approximately 30 percent of the country's production comes from here, with an annual production of 18-20 thousand tons. For the national total, sources give different ranges; In the sector news dated 2024-2025, estimates such as 60-70 thousand tons and 60-80 thousand tons are mentioned. We discuss Spain's sector structure in a separate article.
Portugal
The center of production is the Algarve region. FAOSTAT's last official Portuguese data is 34,398 tons in 2015; 2016–2017 values have been published as estimates. According to a report in the Portuguese press, approximately 30 thousand tons of carob were collected in the Algarve in the 2021 harvest, and a decrease of up to 40 percent was expected in the 2022 harvest due to drought.
Italy
Most of the production is in Sicily. For 2017, 28,910 tons appear on FAOSTAT. Italy is also an important importing and processing country: according to FAOSTAT foreign trade data, it imported approximately 5,013 tons of carob in 2024.
Morocco
It is the largest producer in North Africa. FAO's "One Country One Product" (OCOP) document from 2025 states that Morocco produces 40–60 thousand tons of carob annually, with the majority of production coming from forest areas of about 71 thousand hectares. This range is well above the estimated value of about 22.6 thousand tons in FAOSTAT; the reason for the difference is that Moroccan figures in FAOSTAT are estimates, not measurements. We examine Morocco in detail in a separate article.
Greece and Cyprus
The final value of FAOSTAT in Greece was 12,287 tons in 2017 and 7,475 tons in Cyprus. Cyprus stands out in per capita consumption and the cultural importance of carob. According to IndexBox's market analysis published in 2020, Cyprus and Greece come after Portugal in the per capita consumption ranking.
Turkey
Since Turkey's figures are based on TURKSTAT data, they are included in FAOSTAT as the "official value" and the series is uninterrupted. While production was 13,985 tons in 2014, it increased to 16,256 tons in 2019 and 25,106 tons in 2022; it was 24,561 tons in 2023 and 25,000 tons in 2024. In the same period, the harvest area at FAOSTAT increased from 682 hectares in 2018 to 2,248 hectares in 2024. Production in Turkey is mainly concentrated in Mersin, Antalya and Muğla; The feasibility report of the Çukurova Development Agency dated 2021 states that 43 percent of Turkey's production in 2019 came from Mersin, with TURKSTAT data.
Is Turkey a "World Leader"?
In late 2025, there were reports in the Turkish press that "Turkey is the world leader in carob with a production of 24,561 tons". This figure exactly matches the Turkey 2023 value in FAOSTAT, and Turkey is indeed in first place, Morocco in second place and Lebanon in third place in the FAOSTAT ranking.
However, this ranking is a result of the data gap we described above. Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece and Cyprus do not appear on the list because they are not included in FAOSTAT after 2018. Considering national sources and scientific reviews, the production of Spain and Portugal is higher than Turkey. The correct statement is that Turkey ranks first among the producers that report regular and official data to FAOSTAT and is one of the few countries that has significantly increased its production in the last decade.
This distinction is especially important in export negotiations. Foreign buyers often know the industry through processors in Europe; presenting figures with the source and in the right context increases credibility.
Why Are the Numbers So Different?
Anyone who looks at carob statistics encounters very different figures for the same year. For example, a 2024 review in Heliyon magazine writes that approximately 400 thousand tons of carob is produced annually in the world, and more than 70 percent of this comes from European Union countries; however, it does not cite a source for this sentence. FAOSTAT's current total is 57 thousand tons, and the compilation based on the 2012–2021 average is 184 thousand tons. The main reasons for these differences are:
- Some countries do not make regular notifications to FAO
- Using forecast and model values instead of measurement
- Not recording the harvest from forest trees and scattered gardens
- Some sources give a certain year, some give a multi-year average
- Very high yield fluctuation between years
The last point is particularly important. Carob can show significant yield differences from one year to the next, depending on rainfall and weather conditions during the flowering period. The Portuguese range at FAOSTAT clearly shows this: production decreased from 64,895 tons in 2014 to 34,398 tons in 2015. In Italy, production fell from 30,841 tons in 2012 to 9,445 tons in 2013.
Production and Foreign Trade Relationship
The production ranking and the export ranking are not the same. According to FAOSTAT's foreign trade data updated in July 2026, world carob exports in 2024 are approximately 32,872 tons. The largest part of these exports came from Spain (13,323 tons), Portugal (5,860 tons), Italy (4,308 tons) and Morocco (4,296 tons). In the same year, Spain (6,489 tons) and Italy (5,013 tons) stand out in imports. In other words, large producers are also countries that buy and process raw materials from other countries.
This table shows that the trade of carob is largely carried out through processed products. The carob gamut obtained from the whole fruit, very broken (kibble), powder, seeds and especially from the kernel changes hands in the international market. As a matter of fact, FAO's Morocco document emphasizes that most of the seeds in the country are exported unprocessed. There is no export record for Turkey for this item of FAOSTAT; Turkey's foreign trade of carob is monitored under different customs items. We discuss Turkey's export data in a separate article.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which country produces the most carob in the world? Scientific reviews and national sources show Spain as the first producer. In FAOSTAT's current ranking, Turkey ranks first because there is no data for Spain and other European producers.
What is the world carob production? There is no single exact figure. Although FAOSTAT's current total is approximately 57 thousand tons, it does not include major producers. A compilation combining FAO and national data for the period 2012–2021 gives an annual average of approximately 184 thousand tons.
How much is Turkey's carob production? According to FAOSTAT data from TURKSTAT, it is 24,561 tons in 2023 and 25,000 tons in 2024.
Is carob production increasing or decreasing? In the long term, there is a worldwide regression. Turkey, on the other hand, is among the countries that have increased its production and harvest area in the last decade.
Carob Supply with Carob Türkiye
The concentration of world production in a limited number of countries and the fluctuation of yields from year to year make regular and traceable supply important for carob buyers. As Carob Türkiye, we supply carob fruit, crumbs, flour/powder, seeds and extracts. Our product range Our Products You can review it on the page, for your wholesale and export requests Contact Now You can contact us on our page. If you are wondering about the general properties of carob What is Carob? You can take a look at our article.
Domestic resources
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