Sugar consumption worldwide 2010/11-2024/25

The global consumption of sugar amounted to about 177.33 million metric tons in 2023/24, and is projected to increase to about 178.79 million metric tons by 2024/2025. With the increase in world trade, better agricultural technology, among other reasons, sugar is cheaper and more widely available than ever. 

Sugar cane and sugar beets

There are two major crops used to produce table sugar, sugar cane and sugar beets. Though they are two separate and distinct plants, the end product is identical no matter which plant is used to manufacture the sugar. In 2021, Brazil was the top producer of sugar cane worldwide, while the Russian Federation topped the list of sugar beets producers.

Global sugar market

In 2022/2023, about about 177 million metric tons of sugar were produced worldwide, up from 164.7 million metric tons of sugar in 2015/2016. India consumes the most sugar of any country, followed by the European Union and China. Between 2026 and 2031, the global price of sugar is expected to increase from about 680 U.S. dollars per ton to about 720 U.S. dollars per ton. The increase would still mark a lower price than sugar costs in 2022. This means that sugar might be even more readily accessible and affordable in the future, this could lead to further global health problems associated with excess sugar consumption.