Pistachio Production by Country 2023

The United States produced about two-thirds of all the pistachios in the world between 2021 and 2022. Their share was 67%. Iran had the second most at 17%, and Turkey came in third at 11%. Greece and Syria combined produced 4%. About 1% of these nuts came from “other” countries not mentioned.

Largest Pistachio Yields In The World (2018-2022)

A total of 911,829 tons of pistachios are produced in the world per year according to data recorded back in 2018. The largest amount at this time was apparently produced by Iran at 337,815 tons, and the second largest was the United States at 335,660. At that time, the third was China at about 106,155 tons.

2022 Yield Update

By 2022, the U.S. Iran and Turkey took the top three spots for pistachio production. With the increase of this nut’s production, comes the battle for first place. Overall, these three countries produced 90% of the total share worldwide. The remaining 10% by this time came from Syria, Afghanistan, Spain, and a few more.

At this time, the U.S. produced and exported the most in-shell pistachios. Iran earned the title of second-largest in-shell producer, and they lead in the kernel export of this nut. Turkey continues to emerge, and they more than likely will remain at the forefront for quite some time.

Pistachio Acreage and Amounts (Top 5, 2018 Data)

1. Iran – Total acreage (in hectares) of pistachio plantations in Iran is approximately 411,432 at about 4.132 Kg (9.1 lbs.) per person.

2. Turkey – The number of acres Turkey has totals 366,210. They produce about 1.052 Kg (almost 2.3 lbs.) of this nut per person.

3. United States of America – The U.S. grows its crop on about 116,950 acres for a total of about 1.024 Kg(2.25 lbs.) per person.

4. Syria – A total of 59,989 acres has pistachios on it in this country. Syria produces about 1.74 Kg (3.84 lbs.) of this food per person.

5. China – China has about 32, 207 acres worth of land where it produces about .076 Kg (almost 17 lbs.) per person.

Projections

By optimizing growing conditions, the U.S., Iran and Turkey have figured out how to produce better quality pistachios, focusing on quality over quantity. On the other hand, they do face some challenges when trying to grow in drought conditions.

In 2022, the U.S. will have a halfway decent yield but not as good as Iran, though the U.S. predicts an “off-year” for California growers. Unfortunately, Turkey hasn’t experienced favorable weather this year. Therefore, they might experience a 70% production drop.