Areca Nuts Production By Country (2026)

Compiled from 2018-2024 FAO data across 11 territories, areca nut production by country reached roughly 2.33 million tonnes in 2024. India dominated output, with Bangladesh and Myanmar rounding out the top three. The dataset covers all major growing regions of South and Southeast Asia.

Key Takeaways

  • India led global areca nut output in 2024 with 1.41 million tonnes, accounting for 60.5% of listed production.
  • Bangladesh ranked second at 356,029 tonnes, while Myanmar held third with 262,835 tonnes.
  • South Asia accounted for over 90% of global areca nut production in 2024.
  • Dataset covers 11 territories using 2018-2024 FAO data alongside modeled 2026 projections.

India Dominates Global Areca Nut Output

Listed 2024 areca nut production reached about 2.33 million tonnes worldwide. India accounted for 60.5% of that total with 1.41 million tonnes, followed by Bangladesh at 356,029 tonnes and Myanmar at 262,835 tonnes. China ranked fourth with 88,525 tonnes, while Indonesia rounded out the top five at 75,265 tonnes.

Areca Nut Production Map by Country (2024 FAO Data)
Areca nut cultivation is concentrated in South and Southeast Asia, where the crop has cultural and economic significance, with the full ranking in the table below.

Areca Nut Production by Country (2024 FAO Data)

#
Country
2024 (Tonne)
1
India
India IN
1,410,966
2
Bangladesh
Bangladesh BD
356,029
3
Myanmar
Myanmar MM
262,835
4
Taiwan
Taiwan TW
102,918
5
China
China CN
88,525
6
Indonesia
Indonesia ID
75,265
7
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka LK
70,866
8
Thailand
Thailand TH
38,273
9
Nepal
Nepal NP
14,781
10
Bhutan
Bhutan BT
14,405
11
Malaysia
Malaysia MY
24
12
Maldives
Maldives MV
13

Asia Accounts for Nearly All Global Production

Sri Lanka produced 70,866 tonnes, Thailand 38,273 tonnes, Nepal 14,781 tonnes, and Bhutan 14,405 tonnes, all contributing to Asia's near-total share of the global total. The crop is primarily grown by smallholder farmers, with India's Karnataka and Kerala states accounting for a large portion of worldwide output.

2026 Forecast Methodology: The areca nut estimates are calculated separately from the historical FAO series. The model applies a weighted moving average with the strongest weight on the latest FAO year (2024: 50%, 2023: 30%, 2022: 20%) and a capped growth adjustment drawn mainly from the 2021-2024 trend. An IQR-based filter removes outlier data points before the forecast is run. Countries with large year-to-year swings are held to tighter growth limits, and extreme-volatility series are projected from the recent median rather than from the trend.

Areca Nut Production by Country: 2018-2024 Data and 2026 Estimates

#
Country
2026 (est.)
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
1
India
India
1,542,942 1,410,966 1,369,000 1,666,000 1,563,000 1,382,000 901,000 833,000
2
Bangladesh
Bangladesh
350,227 356,029 341,586 333,724 345,801 328,610 316,715 215,783
3
Myanmar
Myanmar
266,308 262,835 263,558 253,217 230,013 225,836 224,951 226,031
4
Taiwan
Taiwan
85,000 102,918 103,767 98,565 95,536 92,658 88,920 -
5
China
China
89,840 88,525 92,467 92,658 95,536 98,565 103,767 102,918
6
Indonesia
Indonesia
78,621 75,265 72,984 88,507 83,911 66,738 65,296 62,133
7
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
75,271 70,866 72,075 66,534 82,132 63,986 53,645 54,691
8
Thailand
Thailand
38,266 38,273 38,255 38,256 38,306 38,204 38,259 38,456
9
Nepal
Nepal
15,461 14,781 14,657 15,665 14,584 8,782 5,542 13,905
10
Bhutan
Bhutan
12,584 14,405 11,409 11,106 21,377 17,446 16,107 11,681
11
Malaysia
Malaysia
60 24 35 41 39 2 206 177
12
Maldives
Maldives
13 13 13 13 13 13 12 15

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Which country produces the most areca nuts in the world?

A: India is the world's largest areca nut producer with 1.41 million tonnes in 2024, or about 60.5% of all listed output. Bangladesh ranked second at 356,029 tonnes (15.3%), while Myanmar followed with 262,835 tonnes (11.3%).

Q: How has India's areca nut production changed in recent years?

A: India's areca nut output rose from 833,000 tonnes in 2018 to a peak of 1,666,000 tonnes in 2022 before declining to 1.41 million tonnes in 2024. The sharp increase between 2019 and 2020 reflects expanded area under cultivation, while the post-2022 drop suggests cyclical adjustment. The 2026 estimate of 1.54 million tonnes points to stabilization near current levels.

Data Disclaimer: Projected data (future years) are estimates based on mathematical models. Actual values may differ. Learn about our methodology →

Sources

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