About 80% of the world's sugar is produced from cane grown in tropical and subtropical climates. The remaining 20% comes from sugar beets, which are grown mostly in the temperate zones of the Northern Hemisphere. Brazil, India, Thailand, China, and the U.S. are the world's largest sugar producers. The European Union sits between India and Thailand, but was left out as it consists of multiple countries.
During the 2023 to 2024 crop year, global sugar production is expected to reach 187.9 million metric tons, up 10.6 million metric tons from the previous year.
Many factors affect sugar output, from weather conditions to geopolitical events and local politics. The expected uptick in production during the 2023-2024 season is due, in part, to the increased area devoted to sugar cultivation in Brazil and India, which more than offset a 12% production decline from Russia.
Key Takeaways
- The largest sugar-producing countries are Brazil, India, Thailand, China, and the U.S.
- Sugar can be extracted from either sugarcane or sugar beets. Corn sugar is sometimes used as an alternative sweetener.
- The market is dominated by cane sugar, at 80% of all production, but beet sugar is an important crop in more northern climates.
1. Brazil
Due partly to favorable weather, Brazil's already massive contribution to the world's sugar supply is expected to increase by four million metric tons during the 2023-2024 harvest year, reaching 42 million metric tons. This puts Brazil's sugar production near its record high, as strong prices have motivated some Brazilian farmers to use land for sugarcane instead of grain this growing season.
The demand for sugarcane for ethanol and renewable fuels remains an important factor in the Brazilian market. With a forecast for flat consumption and growing supplies, Brazil could see sugar exports continue to rise.
Countries with more land, warmer temperatures, and more rain tend to produce more sugar.
2. India
India is not far behind Brazil in sugar production. In fact, it held the top spot as recently as 2021-2022. India's production is expected to increase by four million metric tons in the 2023-2024 season to reach 36 million metric tons.
India is also the world's leading sugar consumer, going through 31 million metric tons annually. According to forecasts, domestic consumption is set to grow based on stronger demand from bulk buyers and manufacturers of processed foods. Meanwhile, exports should stay relatively stable as the country aims to reduce inflation.
3. Thailand
Sugarcane is one of Thailand's most important crops, and the country has been recovering from a drought that badly hurt its production in the 2020-2021 crop year. Production in 2023 to 2024 is expected to reach 11.2 million metric tons, a slight increase over the previous year.
While forecasts predict a record high of sugar exports from Thailand, domestic consumption is also strong, with improvements in the economy and the tourism industry boosting demand.
Sugar is made by extracting the juice of sugar beet or sugarcane plants. With slight variations in production, this juice can be made into white or brown sugar and can be processed into granulated, powdered, or superfine crystals. Some of these variations are available only to the food industry and aren't carried by supermarkets.
4. China
China's sugar production is anticipated to increase by one million metric tons to 10 million metric tons in the 2023-2024 season, with the country also seeing a boost from good weather. Alongside expectations that the world's second-largest economy will continue to recover from its slowdown, domestic sugar consumption is set to continue pushing higher.
Although China is one of the world's largest sugar producers, it is a net sugar importer. Forecasts call for sugar imports in China to rise to meet the gap between supply and demand, even as production in the country grows.
5. The United States
The U.S. is now the fifth largest sugar grower globally, with gross production expected to reach 8.4 million metric tons in the 2023-to-2024 growing season. Unlike most other countries, the U.S. is a major producer of both cane and beet sugar, with sugarcane accounting for about 45% of national production and sugar beets accounting for around 55%.
In addition to sugarcane and sugar beets, corn represents another sweet cash crop for U.S. growers. The U.S. produced 7.5 million short tons of high-fructose corn syrup in 2022, down from a high of over nine million in the 2000s. These sweeteners are often used as sugar substitutes in the beverage, dairy, and processed food industries.
How Much Sugar Does the European Union Produce?
If the European Union (EU) were a single country, it would be the world's third-largest sugar producer, behind India and Brazil. During the 2023-to-2024 crop year, the EU is expected to produce 15.5 million metric tons of sugar, up 576,000 metric tons from the previous year.
Planting in other EU member countries has offset a decline in sugar beet acreage in France. The EU is the world's largest beet sugar producer, accounting for 20% of the world's total sugar production. Beet sugar is primarily produced in northern Europe, including in northern France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, and Poland.
Which Countries Consume the Most Sugar?
India will be the largest sugar consumer for the 2023/2024 season at 31 million tons, followed by China (15.6 million) and the U.S. (11.5 million). However, this does not account for the population differences between each country. On a per-capita basis, the average American consumes the most at 126 grams of sugar per day, followed by Germany and the Netherlands at 102 grams each.
Is Sucrose the Same Thing as Sugar?
Sucrose is the chemical name for common sugar. Sucrose is a simple carbohydrate produced naturally in all plants. Sugar beets and sugarcane have the greatest quantities of sucrose, which is why they are used to make the processed sugar found around the world.
How Much Sugar Should You Eat in a Day?
The American Heart Association recommends that adult men consume no more than nine teaspoons of added sugar per day, and women limit themselves to six teaspoons. That's much lower than the average daily consumption of 17 teaspoons of added sugar per day.
Is Corn Sugar Really Sugar?
There are minor differences between corn sugar and table sugar. Corn naturally contains a lot of starch. This cornstarch is extracted from the plant and made into a solid form of sugar. The cornstarch is glucose, which is transformed by processing into dextrose. Additional processing with an enzyme called sucrase results in high fructose corn syrup, a product widely used in commercial food products. One significant difference is that corn sugar is always liquid.
The Bottom Line
Brazil, India, Thailand, China, and the U.S. are the top sugar-producing countries in the world. If they were combined, the EU countries would be the world's third-largest sugar producer, behind only Brazil and India. Sugar production fluctuates yearly, most often based on economic factors that influence whether growers cultivate sugarcane and sugar beets, or turn to other crops.
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