Top 10 Honey-Producing Countries in the World

1. China

China is responsible for about a quarter of the global honey output which makes it the largest honey producer in the entire world. The country produces between 500,000 tons to 650,000 tons of honey per year. About 75% of the honey produced is consumed locally in China.

China’s Zhejiang province is considered the center of honey production in the country. This province has about 15,000 local beekeepers and about 1 million beehives that generate honey with the purest consistency and flavor.      

2. Turkiye

Turkiye currently has about 104,709 beekeepers and more than 6 million beehives spread across several provinces including Aydin, Ordu, Mersin, etc. that produce the best quality honey.

The data from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) shows that the country produced about 118,297 tons of honey in 2024 which is a staggering amount.

Turkey exports its honey to countries from all over the world including the USA, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Austria to name just a few.  

3. Iran

Iran has about 6 million beehives spread across its various provinces that produce about 79,000 tons of organic honey every year. Iran also exports approximately 5,000 tons of honey globally.

Honey production in Iran is projected to increase by 5% to 10% every year as the country adapts more modern beekeeping tools and best practices.

4. India

India is another major honey producer that has about 35,000 beekeepers in its Punjab province alone. This province produces about 39% of all honey in the country.

Estimates suggest that India produces about 74,000 tons of honey per year a huge part of which is exported across Europe and Asia. Apart from Punjab, some other notable honey-producing provinces in India are Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh. 

5. Argentina

Argentina produces about 70,000 tons to 75,000 raw honey per year. There are about 13.7 thousand beekeepers in the country that work diligently for bee preservation as well as ethical honey production.

The provinces of Buenos Aires and Entre Rios rank the highest in honey production with 4.3 thousand and 2.5 thousand bee producers respectively.

6. Russia

Honey is extensively used in Russia as medicine and an important culinary ingredient in tea, baked, goods, and desserts. The country produces about 67,000 tons of honey every year a huge part of which is exported to USA, Belarus, and even China.

7. Mexico

Mexico produces about 40,000 to 64,000 tons of honey annually. There are about 1.9 million hives in the country run by 43,000 beekeepers who use ethical and advanced practices for honey production.

Recently, there has been a rise in honey yields in the region and this trend is only expected to rise as more people develop an interest in beekeeping and eco-friendly bee farming practices.

8. Brazil

In Brazil, most of the natural honey comes from the Northeastern regions of the Atlantic Rainforest. The country produces about 60,000 tons of pure honey every year making it one of the biggest worldwide producers.

In this region, the honey is mostly made from African Bees that are immune to several bee viruses and diseases. The total revenue from honey export in Brazil is about $160 million per year which is pretty impressive.

9. Ukraine

This is probably the highest honey-producing region in the entire Europe. Ukraine has a yearly honey output of about 63,000 tons to 75,000 tons. Almost half of the honey produced is exported globally.

Estimates suggest that about 70,000 Ukrainians are currently involved in beekeeping which is about 1%-2% of the entire population. The beekeeping industry in Ukraine is growing at an unprecedented rate and the future looks pretty promising as well.

10.  New Zealand

Last but not least, New Zealand is another major honey producer that is known for its highest quality manuka honey. However, you can also find several other honey varieties that are made in the region by approximately 6,735 beekeepers using 684,046 registered hives.

New Zealand produces about 20,000 to 22,000 tons of honey per year which makes up about 1.2% of the total global honey production. Apart from honey, this country also exports premium quality pollen, beeswax, and propolis all over the world.

Conclusion

Honey is a valuable commodity that is popular on a global level for its health benefits. Countries from all over the world all actively trying to boost their honey yield using sustainable and bee-friendly practices that promote the growth of bee colonies.

This is the reason why global honey production has amplified considerably in recent years. However, honeybees are still under great threat mainly due to climate change caused by harmful human activities.

To cope with this, we need to take individual as well as collective measures to ensure bees are able to thrive and produce natural raw honey in greater amounts to meet the needs of the growing population of the world.

Visit us at Geohoney today if you are looking to buy premium quality raw honey harvested using eco-friendly methods from various parts of the world.