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Tomatoes are one of the most popular foods on Earth. Even though a lot of people intrinsically associate tomatoes with vegetables because of how they taste, tomatoes are botanically classified as fruits—specifically berries—because they develop from the flower’s ovary and contain seeds. Tomatoes are used in everything from ketchup to pasta sauce and from salads to food garnishes. This is why tomatoes are in high demand, and some countries produce more tomatoes than others.
For example, China produces more tomatoes than any other country. In 2022, China produced over 68 million tons of tomatoes. This is more than thrice the amount of tomatoes produced yearly by the second country, India. India produced 20.7 million tons of tomatoes in 2022.
Country | Tomato Production 2022 (t) |
---|---|
China | 68.2M |
India | 20.7M |
Turkey | 13M |
United States | 10.2M |
Egypt | 6.3M |
Italy | 6.1M |
Mexico | 4.2M |
Brazil | 3.8M |
Nigeria | 3.7M |
Spain | 3.7M |
Yes, the United States produces a lot of tomatoes as well. The United States is the fourth largest producer of tomatoes on the planet as of 2022. The amount of tomatoes produced by the United States dropped between 2016 and 2017 – from 13 million tons to approximately 10 million tons of tomatoes. Since then, tomato production in the United States has remained relatively stable with 10.2 million tons produced in 2022.
Some countries in Europe produce tomatoes as well, but tomatoes tend to thrive in warmer climates. So, countries located in Europe may have a difficult time producing a lot of tomatoes. Italy is responsible for producing more tomatoes than any other European country. Because Italy extends closer to the equator than other countries in Europe, it should come as no surprise that it produces a lot of tomatoes. Italy produces approximately six million tons of tomatoes every year. Because Italy is known for its pasta, it should come as no surprise that Italy is also great at producing tomatoes.
Several other countries with tropical weather are also great at growing tomatoes. For example, Mexico has a warm climate, which helps make it one of the world’s top tomato producers. It is the 7th largest producer of tomatoes in the world, as of 2022. It grows approximately four million tons of tomatoes every year. Brazil is also a very large producer of tomatoes. It is right behind Mexico on the list, and it produces approximately 3.8 million tons of tomatoes annually. Other countries that also grow a lot of tomatoes include Nigeria, Spain, and Iran. There is still a lot of demand for tomatoes, and it will be interesting to see if production increases moving forward.