M. Shahbandeh
Research expert covering agriculture & FMCG
Avocado industry - statistics & facts
Avocado is a stone fruit with a creamy texture that grows in tropical climates. In comparison to other fruits, which primarily consist of carbohydrates, the avocado fruit has a very unique consistency due to high content of healthy fats.
Top avocado producing countries
The avocado fruit belongs to the genus Persea in the Lauraceae family. The tree is typically cultivated in Central Mexico. In 2022, Mexico accounted for the highest share in global production of avocados with a production volume amounting to just over 2.5 million tons. Colombia and Peru were also ranked among the major avocado producing countries with production volumes of about 1.1 million and 866 thousand tons respectively in 2022.Avocado retail
Even though the fruit was introduced to the consumer market some time ago, it has recently become incredibly popular among Americans. The retail sales of avocados in the United States amounted to 1.96 billion U.S. dollars in 2021, but increased to 2.7 billion U.S. dollars in 2022. Avocado was previously one of the leading product categories in the fresh department of the United States, and has recently growth in sales, with about 2.2 percent in 2023.Consumer perception
The consumption of avocados in the United States amounted to about 2.8 billion pounds in 2022. A recent survey, in 2022, regarding the driving factors for buying avocados in the U.S. revealed that about 79 percent of consumers believe that avocados are healthy, and some 73 percent of respondents think that the fruit has good fats. Not all consumers, however, are convinced to add it to their shopping basket. About 61 percent of respondents cited "too perishable" as a main barrier for buying avocados, while around 74 percent considered avocadoes to be frequently "too expensive" to buy.
