Spain’s fruit and vegetable sector has been competing in the European and global premier league for years. Within the European Union, Spain is the largest producer of fruit and vegetables, with 28 million tonnes, according to FAO data for 2023. It is closely followed by Italy, with 27 million tonnes, and France, with 22 million tonnes.
Spain is also the EU’s leading exporter of fresh fruit and vegetables. In 2024, it shipped 10 million tonnes to the European market, accounting for 25% of intra-EU trade. It ranked ahead of the Netherlands, with 9.5 million tonnes and a 24% share, and France, with 4.8 million tonnes and 12%.
Eleventh in the global production ranking
Worldwide fruit and vegetable production reached 1.966 billion tonnes in 2023, according to FAO figures. Spain ranked eleventh globally, with output of 29.1 million tonnes, based on FAOSTAT data processed by FEPEX.
China leads the international ranking with 769 million tonnes, representing 40% of global production. It is followed by India, with 213 million tonnes, and the United States, with 65 million tonnes.
A broad and diversified supply
The strength of the Spanish fruit and vegetable sector lies in its extensive and diversified range, which includes more than 92 vegetable crops and over 120 fruit crops.
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Spain also benefits from a wide variety of agroclimatic regions, production areas and farming systems. These conditions support long commercial calendars and an almost permanent presence in international markets.
According to FEPEX, this supply capacity makes Spain a reliable year-round supplier and provides the shortest value chain for delivering fresh fruit and vegetables to European consumers.
