Italy queen of pasta: two-thirds of production and exports were Italian in 2023

Brussels – Italy is the ‘queen’ of pasta. Regardless of how you want to prepare and enjoy it — whether you prefer it long or short — what takes center stage, or rather — center table — is still the Belpaese. In 2023, pasta production totaled 6.2 million tons in the European Union, worth an overall 8.9 billion euros. The Italian share of this is record-breaking: Of the 6.2 million tons produced, 4.2 million tons came out of Italian pasta factories, with Italy alone billing 6.2 billion euros out of the 8.9 billion total EU turnover.

Certifying once again the all-Italian record is Eurostat, in data released today (Oct. 25). Italy alone is worth more than two-thirds of the single market for pasta, with 68 percent of total EU production volumes and 70 percent in value. The country contributes to the industry’s growth, as between 2022 and 2023, there was an increase of 1.1 billion euros in value. Pasta is tempting. The pleasure it brings to the palate drives demand and turnover.

The dominance of ‘made in Italy’ in this specific sector is seen in the numbers of the main releases. While Italy produced 6.2 million tons, the second largest producer, Spain, packed nearly half a million tons (8 percent of the total) of spaghetti, fusilli, orecchiette, and related items, while the third largest producer, France, over 260 thousand tons (accounting for 4 percent of the EU total).

Italy is also the ‘queen’ for export of the country’s iconic product, with two million tons sold across the border, accounting for three-quarters (76 percent) of all EU exports. Even on this, there is practically no match: Spain, the second EU pasta exporter, sold about 130 thousand tons to other countries, or 5 percent of total European exports.