what country have highest olive consumption per capita
Quick Answer
Greece has the highest olive oil consumption per capita in the world, with estimates ranging from about 14.7 kg to as high as 24 liters per person per year , depending on the data source and year.
If you’re including very small microstates, San Marino sometimes edges out Greece in certain reports, with figures around 22–24 liters per person annually , but for standard country-level comparisons, Greece is consistently ranked #1.
Why Greece Leads in Olive Consumption
Deep cultural and dietary integration
Olive oil isn’t just a cooking ingredient in Greece—it’s a core part of the national diet and identity.
- It’s used liberally in salads, vegetables, bread dips, fish, and even some traditional sweets.
- The Mediterranean diet, heavily centered on olive oil, is especially strong in Greece compared to many other countries.
- Local production is high, prices are relatively low, and quality is generally trusted, which encourages heavy everyday use.
Numbers you’ll see in different sources
Exact figures vary by year and whether the data is from the International Olive Council (IOC), market research firms, or national statistics, but the pattern is consistent:
- Greece:
- Around 14.68 kg per capita in 2023 (market data).
* Often quoted at **~20–24 liters per person per year** in broader overviews.
- Spain:
- Roughly 11.28 kg per capita (2023), commonly cited around 14–15 liters in other sources.
- Italy:
- About 8.93 kg per capita (2023), often rounded to ~11–14 liters depending on the report.
Other notable high-consumption countries include Portugal, Albania, Morocco, Tunisia, Israel, and Lebanon , but all sit well below Greece in per capita terms.
Table: Top Countries by Olive Oil Consumption Per Capita (Recent Data)
Below is a simplified view based on recent datasets (kilograms per person per year):
| Rank | Country | Olive Oil Consumption (kg per capita, approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Greece | ~14.7 |
| 2 | Spain | ~11.3 |
| 3 | Italy | ~8.9 |
| 4 | Portugal | ~6.4 |
| 5 | Albania | ~3.7 |
| 6 | Morocco | ~3.6 |
| 7 | Tunisia | ~2.8 |
| 8 | Israel | ~2.6 |
| 9 | Algeria | ~2.6 |
| 10 | Luxembourg | ~2.5 |
How This Compares to Big Importing Markets
For contrast, major non-Mediterranean markets consume far less per person:
- United States: ~0.98–1.1 kg (about 1.1 liters) per capita.
- Canada: ~1.2–1.3 liters per capita.
- Japan & Brazil: around 0.4 kg per capita.
These low numbers highlight how much of a cultural outlier Greece (and the broader Mediterranean region) is when it comes to olive oil use.
Mini Story: What 24 Liters a Year Actually Looks Like
If you take the higher-end estimate for Greece—around 24 liters per person per year —that’s:
- About 2 liters per month per person, or
- Roughly 65–70 ml per day (a few generous tablespoons), every single day, on average.
That’s not just “cooking with olive oil”; that’s building meals around it: drizzling over tomatoes, soaking bread, roasting vegetables, finishing soups, and using it as a primary fat instead of butter or seed oils.
TL;DR
- Highest olive oil consumption per capita: Greece (about 14.7–24 liters/kg per person per year, depending on source).
- Close followers: Spain and Italy, then Portugal and several Mediterranean/North African countries.
- Special case: San Marino (microstate) may show even higher per capita figures in some datasets, but Greece is the standard answer for countries.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.