Top 10 Cocoa Producing Countries in 2025: A Comprehensive Analysis
Cocoa supply is unusually “tight” in the mid-2020s: weather stress and disease reduced global availability in 2023/24, pushed prices higher, and accelerated policy + sustainability pressure across the supply chain. This page ranks the leading producers and explains what’s driving output, where the uncertainty sits, and how to interpret “production” correctly.
- Coverage: Cocoa year 2024/25 (Oct–Sep) as the closest “2025 season”
- Last data check: 2026-01-29
- Core sources: ICCO Quarterly Bulletin + FAOSTAT (via FAO/OWID)
What changed recently (and why it matters)
The 2023/24 cocoa year (Oct–Sep) was marked by a major supply drop. ICCO’s February 2024 bulletin projected world gross production at 4.449 million tonnes (about −10.9% year-on-year), alongside lower grindings and a deficit. That supply shock was a core reason prices jumped in 2024.
For the next season (2024/25), ICCO’s early-2025 production table expected a partial rebound to 4.840 million tonnes, with Africa still at roughly ~71–72% of world output. Later, the November 2025 ICCO bulletin revised 2024/25 world production to 4.698 million tonnes and indicated a small global surplus as the market rebalanced.
- Concentration stays extreme: Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana remain the system’s “swing” suppliers.
- Americas are growing in strategic importance: Ecuador is the key scale player; several others are “specialty” suppliers.
- Regulation is rising: the EU’s deforestation-free rules for cocoa were delayed and now stage in from 30 Dec 2026 (large/medium operators) and 30 Jun 2027 (micro/small), but buyers are already building traceability and risk controls.
How this ranking is built
Cocoa is reported in different “clocks.” This page uses the cocoa year (Oct–Sep) because it matches how ICCO and the industry track supply. The headline ranking is anchored in ICCO’s 2024/25 country breakdown for the major producers (the closest practical proxy for “2025 season”). For smaller producers not shown in ICCO’s headline table, the page uses the most recent comparable annual production figures (FAO/FAOSTAT) as a conservative proxy.
- Units: tonnes of cocoa beans (not grindings, exports, or chocolate output).
- Shares: computed versus ICCO’s 2024/25 world total (4.840m t) unless otherwise noted.
- Change column: where available, it reflects ICCO’s 2024/25 vs 2023/24 (forecast-to-forecast) direction.
- What this is not: it is not a “quality” ranking. Fine flavor share is separate from volume.
Jump to the interactive table to search, sort, filter by region, and switch between units and % of world.
Top 10 cocoa producers (2025 season view)
Search and filter the ranking, then switch between tonnes and % of world. Shares use the ICCO world total for cocoa year 2024/25.
| Rank | Country | Output (tonnes) | Change vs 2023/24* |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Côte d’Ivoire
West Africa • largest swing supplier
Region: Africa
Income: Lower-middle
|
1,850,000 | +10.5% |
| 2 |
Ghana
West Africa • regulated marketing + quality control
Region: Africa
Income: Lower-middle
|
600,000 | +13.2% |
| 3 |
Ecuador
Andean Americas • scale + specialty supply
Region: Americas
Income: Upper-middle
|
480,000 | +11.6% |
| 4 |
Nigeria
West Africa • large potential, yield dispersion
Region: Africa
Income: Lower-middle
|
350,000 | 0.0% |
| 5 |
Cameroon
Central Africa • farm age + inputs matter
Region: Africa
Income: Lower-middle
|
320,000 | 0.0% |
| 6 |
Brazil
Latin America • recovery story, disease control
Region: Americas
Income: Upper-middle
|
210,000 | +5.0% |
| 7 |
Indonesia
Asia-Pacific • replanting cycles matter
Region: Asia-Pacific
Income: Upper-middle
|
200,000 | +11.1% |
| 8 |
Peru
Latin America • specialty-forward output
Region: Americas
Income: Upper-middle
|
167,000 | — |
| 9 |
Dominican Republic
Caribbean • premium/organic positioning
Region: Americas
Income: Upper-middle
|
66,000 | — |
| 10 |
Colombia
Andean Americas • fine flavor niches
Region: Americas
Income: Upper-middle
|
60,000 | — |
Chart 1 — Output by country
The chart follows your current filters and the Units / % toggle.
- Côte d’Ivoire — 1,850,000 t
- Ghana — 600,000 t
- Ecuador — 480,000 t
- Nigeria — 350,000 t
- Cameroon — 320,000 t
- Brazil — 210,000 t
- Indonesia — 200,000 t
- Peru — 167,000 t
- Dominican Republic — 66,000 t
- Colombia — 60,000 t
Why cocoa supply is so concentrated
Cocoa is a tropical tree crop with narrow agronomic “comfort zones.” Trees need stable heat, reliable moisture, and consistent pest & disease control — and they take years to mature. This creates a slow supply response: when major origins suffer weather stress or disease, global availability tightens quickly.
In ICCO’s 2024/25 production breakdown, Africa accounts for 71.5% of world cocoa output, with the Americas at 22.3% and Asia & Oceania at 6.2%. That structure is why West African shocks can dominate global pricing.
Chart 2 — Regional share of world cocoa output (cocoa year 2024/25)
This comparison uses ICCO’s regional breakdown for cocoa year 2024/25. Values are shown in thousand tonnes (k t) and as a share of world output.
Country notes: what to watch in 2025
Cocoa output is decided by three recurring levers: weather (heat + rainfall extremes), tree health (pests/disease + orchard age), and farm economics (input affordability and reinvestment). These factors explain why “projected” numbers should be read as a range rather than a promise.
West Africa: systemic supply risk
Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana are the key swing origins. When either suffers a weak mid-crop or disease flare-ups, the global market tightens quickly. Compliance pressure has also increased traceability requirements, affecting who can sell and at what premium.
Americas: diversification + fine flavor supply
Ecuador is the region’s scale anchor, while Peru, Dominican Republic, and Colombia matter for specialty and origin programs. In tight markets, specialty segments can see amplified price signals even when tonnage is modest.
Asia-Pacific: replanting cycles
Indonesia’s medium-scale role depends heavily on replanting and yield rehabilitation. When orchard age rises and inputs fall, volumes can decline quickly; when investment returns, output can stabilize without needing large new land expansion.
FAQ
Is this ranking for calendar year 2025?
It is a “2025 season” view using the cocoa year (Oct–Sep), which is the standard used by ICCO. Where a country is not listed in ICCO’s headline producer table, the page uses the latest comparable annual production data (FAO/FAOSTAT) as a conservative proxy.
Why do cocoa prices move sharply after weak harvest news?
Cocoa trees take years to mature, so supply cannot expand quickly. When the top origins face weather stress or disease, the market reprices scarcity fast, especially if inventories are tight and grinders still need beans for contracts.
Does “production” equal exports?
No. Production is farm output of beans. Exports depend on domestic processing, stock changes, quality requirements, and policy choices.
What is the biggest medium-term constraint after 2025?
Climate volatility plus disease management and compliance (traceability / deforestation-free requirements). Together, they influence who can sell, at what cost, and how quickly new plantings become export-grade supply.
Sources (absolute URLs)
ICCO — February 2024 Quarterly Bulletin of Cocoa Statistics
https://www.icco.org/february-2024-quarterly-bulletin-of-cocoa-statistics/
Used for: 2023/24 world production projection (4.449m t) and cocoa-year framing.
ICCO — Production of cocoa beans (QBCS-LI No. 1, 28-02-2025) [PDF]
https://www.icco.org/wp-content/uploads/Production_QBCS-LI-No.-1.pdf
Used for: 2024/25 world total (4.840m t), regional shares, and country lines for major producers.
ICCO — November 2025 Quarterly Bulletin of Cocoa Statistics
https://www.icco.org/november-2025-quarterly-bulletin-of-cocoa-statistics/
Used for: revised 2024/25 world production (4.698m t) and balance context.
European Commission — Regulation on deforestation-free products (EUDR) timeline
Used for: policy timeline and compliance driver context.
Our World in Data (FAOSTAT series) — Cocoa bean production
https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/cocoa-bean-production
Used for: annual country production series (latest comparable year varies by country).
Reuters — cocoa price surge context (weather/disease in West Africa)
Used for: market narrative around the 2024 price spike.