Tunisia Overtakes Turkey to Become World’s Second-Largest Olive Oil Producer

Tunisia has overtaken Turkey to become the world’s second-largest olive oil producer, after national output surged 38% to 470,000 tons in the 2025/26 season, according to new USDA figures cited by agricultural analysis firm UkrAgroConsult on September 16, 2026. Turkey’s production nearly halved to 210,000 tons from 410,000 tons a year earlier, dropping it to third place, while Tunisia’s olive oil exports climbed in parallel, rising 38% to 400,000 tons.

How Tunisia’s Olive Oil Boom Compares Globally

The European Union remains the world’s largest olive oil producer, with output estimated at around 2.09 million tons, down 0.9% year-on-year, while EU exports are forecast to fall 5.5%, or 47,000 tons. Global olive oil production for 2025/26 is projected at 3.278 million tons, down 1.6% from 3.333 million tons the previous season, even as global exports are expected to rise 3.2%, from 1.354 million to 1.398 million tons. Tunisia’s gains stand out against that backdrop: exports had already surged 55.3% to a record 368,000 metric tons in the first nine months of the season, generating $1.6 billion in revenue, up 44.4% year-on-year, according to official data reported by Reuters on August 21, 2026. Extra virgin olive oil made up 83.6% of those shipments, with the European Union absorbing 57.1% of the total, led by Spain (32.1%) and Italy (20%), and North America taking 24%.

What’s Driving Tunisia’s Rise

Tunisia’s 2025/26 season, which began in November, benefited from favorable growing conditions across its olive-growing regions, from Sfax to Kairouan, at the same time Turkey’s groves suffered a climate-driven slump that cut national output nearly in half. Strong global demand through the first nine months of the season pulled Tunisian oil into more than 70 countries, with bottled olive oil exports rising 50.8% to 51,500 tons even though bulk oil still accounted for 86% of total shipments. For buyers sourcing from Tunisia, that gap between bulk and packaged volumes is worth watching when negotiating contracts, since it points to room for Tunisian exporters to capture more value by shipping bottled, branded oil rather than bulk. Companies working with Tunisian olive oil suppliers are increasingly asking about packaged-oil capacity for exactly this reason.

FAQ

How much olive oil did Tunisia produce in the 2025/26 season?
Tunisia produced 470,000 tons of olive oil in the 2025/26 season, a 38% increase from 340,000 tons the previous year, according to USDA data cited by UkrAgroConsult.

Why did Tunisia overtake Turkey as the world’s second-largest olive oil producer?
Turkey’s olive oil output nearly halved to 210,000 tons in 2025/26 from 410,000 tons the year before due to weather-related losses, while Tunisia’s production grew 38%, allowing Tunisia to take over Turkey’s second-place global ranking.

Source: UkrAgroConsult, citing USDA data (September 16, 2026); Asharq Al-Awsat/Reuters (August 21, 2026).