Year over year, the value of globally exported pasta flatlined via a 1.9% uptick from $12.1 billion during 2020.
The 5 biggest exporters of pasta are Italy, mainland China, South Korea, Turkey and Thailand. Combined, that cohort of major suppliers collected well over half (55.4%) of exported pasta by value in 2021.
This analysis encompasses both fresh and dried pasta.
In Italian cuisine, both fresh and dried pastas are used in 3 categories of prepared dishes. Cooked pasta is plated and accompanied with sauce or condiments. Another type is pasta that is part of a soup dish. A third category is pasta incorporated into a baked dish.
From a continental perspective, suppliers located in European countries sold the highest dollar worth of exported pasta during 2021 with shipments valued at $6.5 billion or 52.2% of the global total. In second place were Asian exporters at 39.5% while another 4.4% of international pasta shipments originated from North America.
Smaller percentages came from Africa (2.6%), Latin America (1.1%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, then Oceania (0.2%) led by New Zealand and Australia.
For research purposes, the 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix is 1902 including both cooked and uncooked pasta.
Note that World Pasta Day is celebrated each October 25.
Top Pasta Exports by Country
Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of pasta during 2021.
- Italy: US$3.6 billion (29.2% of total pasta exports)
- China: $945.2 million (7.6%)
- South Korea: $891.2 million (7.2%)
- Turkey: $777.4 million (6.3%)
- Thailand: $632 million (5.1%)
- United States: $393 million (3.2%)
- Belgium: $373.9 million (3%)
- Germany: $343 million (2.8%)
- Netherlands: $311.5 million (2.5%)
- Indonesia: $306.7 million (2.5%)
- Vietnam: $285 million (2.3%)
- Austria: $281.6 million (2.3%)
- Saudi Arabia: $245.6 million (2%)
- France: $238.6 million (1.9%)
- Spain: $196 million (1.6%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 79.5% of global pasta exports in 2021.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing pasta exporters since 2020 were: Saudi Arabia (up 26.6%), Netherlands (up 18%), Belgium (up 18.0%) and South Korea (up 12.5%).
Three major suppliers posted declines in their exported pasta sales were namely Vietnam (down -19.1%), Indonesia (down -5.8%) and mainland China (down -3.6%).
Countries Reaping Largest Trade Surpluses from Pasta
The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for pasta during 2021. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports. Thus, the statistics below present the surplus between the value of each country’s exported pasta and its import purchases for that same commodity.
- Italy: US$3.5 billion (net export surplus up 0.9% since 2020)
- Turkey: $768 million (up 2%)
- South Korea: $688.3 million (up 11%)
- China: $645.3 million (up 1%)
- Thailand: $576.1 million (up 5.9%)
- Indonesia: $266.2 million (down -7.5%)
- Vietnam: $223.5 million (down -28.4%)
- Saudi Arabia: $161.2 million (up 96.9%)
- Hungary: $87.2 million (up 20.3%)
- Austria: $85.8 million (up 4.8%)
- Belgium: $83.2 million (up 56.2%)
- Egypt: $79 million (down -1.3%)
- Lithuania: $55.5 million (down -9%)
- Morocco: $54.5 million (up 32.6%)
- Tunisia: $47.2 million (down -30.1%)
Italy generated the highest surplus in the international trade of pasta. In turn, this positive cashflow confirms Italy’s strong competitive advantage for this specific product category.
Countries Facing Largest Trade Deficits from Pasta
The following countries posted the highest negative net exports for pasta during 2021. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports. Thus, the statistics below present the deficit between the value of each country’s imported pasta purchases and its exports for that same commodity.
- United States: -US$871.9 million (net export deficit down -10.9% since 2020)
- United Kingdom: -$802.6 million (up 19.2%)
- France: -$644.9 million (up 15.8%)
- Germany: -$643.1 million (up 12.7%)
- Canada: -$372.7 million (up 1.8%)
- Australia: -$265.4 million (down -10.5%)
- Hong Kong: -$249.1 million (down -5.2%)
- Japan: -$214.3 million (down -5.9%)
- Netherlands: -$147.2 million (up 34.9%)
- Venezuela: -$134.1 million (up 3.5%)
- Sweden: -$131.7 million (up 5.9%)
- Iraq: -$121.7 million (down -20.3%)
- Somalia: -$109 million (up 26.2%)
- Switzerland: -$103.4 million (up 8.4%)
- Malaysia: -$95.3 million (up 13.6%)
The United States of America incurred the highest deficit in the international trade of pasta. In turn, this negative cashflow highlights America’s competitive disadvantage for this specific product category but also signals opportunities for pasta-supplying countries that help satisfy the powerful demand.
Pasta Exporting Companies
Below are global pasta-processing businesses that represent established players engaged in the international trade of pasta. Their home country is shown within parenthesis.
- A. Zerega’s Sons, Inc (United States)
- Barilla Group (Italy)
- Buitoni (Italy)
- Colavita (Italy)
- Dakota Growers Pasta Company (United States)
- De Cecco (Italy)
- Divella (Italy)
- Ebro Foods (Spain)
- La Molisana (Italy)
- New World Pasta Company (United States)
- San Remo Macaroni Co (Australia)
- V. La Rosa and Sons Macaroni Co. (United States)
Searchable List of Pasta Exporting Countries in 2021
The 100 key exporters of pasta in the following automated database account for 99.9% of the value of pasta sold on international markets during 2021.
| Rank | Exporter | Pasta Exports (US$) | 2020-1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Italy | $3,602,493,000 | +0.5% |
| 2. | China | $945,189,000 | -3.6% |
| 3. | South Korea | $891,151,000 | +12.5% |
| 4. | Turkey | $777,397,000 | +2.1% |
| 5. | Thailand | $632,013,000 | +6.1% |
| 6. | United States | $392,951,000 | +3.7% |
| 7. | Belgium | $373,863,000 | +18% |
| 8. | Germany | $343,011,000 | +1.8% |
| 9. | Netherlands | $311,532,000 | +18% |
| 10. | Indonesia | $306,743,000 | -5.8% |
| 11. | Vietnam | $284,960,000 | -19.1% |
| 12. | Austria | $281,571,000 | +8% |
| 13. | Saudi Arabia | $245,571,000 | +26.6% |
| 14. | France | $238,606,000 | +3.3% |
| 15. | Spain | $196,045,000 | +8.6% |
| 16. | Japan | $186,709,000 | +1.8% |
| 17. | Poland | $144,996,000 | +13.1% |
| 18. | Hungary | $129,790,000 | +16.6% |
| 19. | Canada | $127,242,000 | -8.4% |
| 20. | Taiwan | $115,422,000 | -11.3% |
| 21. | Russia | $113,920,000 | +11.9% |
| 22. | Malaysia | $96,112,000 | -0.8% |
| 23. | Hong Kong | $93,848,000 | -7.5% |
| 24. | Switzerland | $87,337,000 | +12.7% |
| 25. | Egypt | $81,577,000 | -1.7% |
| 26. | Lithuania | $80,522,000 | -4.1% |
| 27. | Ukraine | $69,783,000 | +29.2% |
| 28. | Morocco | $68,983,000 | +23.1% |
| 29. | United Kingdom | $67,350,000 | -22.4% |
| 30. | Singapore | $65,924,000 | +1.5% |
| 31. | Czech Republic | $64,631,000 | +11.6% |
| 32. | Kazakhstan | $62,434,000 | +41.2% |
| 33. | Greece | $59,779,000 | -5.3% |
| 34. | Tunisia | $50,113,000 | -27.4% |
| 35. | Ireland | $44,592,000 | +25.3% |
| 36. | Latvia | $37,394,000 | +0.4% |
| 37. | Serbia | $32,881,000 | +22.1% |
| 38. | Philippines | $31,193,000 | +5.6% |
| 39. | Sweden | $29,563,000 | +1.9% |
| 40. | India | $28,919,000 | -27.2% |
| 41. | Portugal | $28,543,000 | +21.7% |
| 42. | Mexico | $28,517,000 | 0% |
| 43. | South Africa | $28,416,000 | +36% |
| 44. | Peru | $26,759,000 | -36.5% |
| 45. | Eswatini | $25,867,000 | +136042.1% |
| 46. | Denmark | $24,684,000 | +55.7% |
| 47. | Guatemala | $23,384,000 | -17.8% |
| 48. | United Arab Emirates | $22,163,000 | -51.3% |
| 49. | Croatia | $20,431,000 | +13.8% |
| 50. | Pakistan | $20,380,000 | +78.9% |
| 51. | Costa Rica | $18,981,000 | -22.8% |
| 52. | Romania | $18,238,000 | +15.6% |
| 53. | Brazil | $17,635,000 | -27.7% |
| 54. | Namibia | $17,253,000 | +59.4% |
| 55. | Slovakia | $16,615,000 | +104.5% |
| 56. | Bangladesh | $14,007,000 | +1.3% |
| 57. | Ivory Coast | $13,872,000 | -59.4% |
| 58. | Nepal | $13,262,000 | +8.2% |
| 59. | Slovenia | $13,183,000 | -2.9% |
| 60. | Mozambique | $12,983,000 | +50.8% |
| 61. | Dominican Republic | $12,558,000 | +51.3% |
| 62. | New Zealand | $11,568,000 | -19.8% |
| 63. | Kuwait | $10,647,000 | -25.4% |
| 64. | Argentina | $10,267,000 | -26.9% |
| 65. | Australia | $7,611,000 | +17.7% |
| 66. | Fiji | $7,372,000 | +13.5% |
| 67. | Chile | $7,057,000 | -8.3% |
| 68. | Kyrgyzstan | $5,910,000 | +75.6% |
| 69. | Israel | $5,602,000 | -9.9% |
| 70. | Iran | $5,449,000 | -91.8% |
| 71. | Estonia | $5,063,000 | +15.9% |
| 72. | Mauritius | $4,263,000 | +7.9% |
| 73. | Bolivia | $4,108,000 | -39% |
| 74. | Senegal | $3,789,000 | -25.7% |
| 75. | Myanmar | $3,564,000 | +23.2% |
| 76. | Ghana | $3,159,000 | +0.7% |
| 77. | Luxembourg | $3,020,000 | -8.3% |
| 78. | Nigeria | $2,934,000 | +114.6% |
| 79. | Guyana | $2,926,000 | -61.2% |
| 80. | Finland | $2,831,000 | +23.7% |
| 81. | Jordan | $2,826,000 | -70.4% |
| 82. | Belarus | $2,710,000 | +14.1% |
| 83. | Cambodia | $2,624,000 | -8.7% |
| 84. | Bulgaria | $2,593,000 | +17.5% |
| 85. | Togo | $2,495,000 | +113.1% |
| 86. | Ecuador | $2,474,000 | +26.5% |
| 87. | Kenya | $2,142,000 | +34% |
| 88. | Sri Lanka | $1,903,000 | -31.6% |
| 89. | Benin | $1,824,000 | +47.2% |
| 90. | Trinidad/Tobago | $1,515,000 | -45.8% |
| 91. | El Salvador | $1,429,000 | +30.7% |
| 92. | Uruguay | $1,372,000 | -26.7% |
| 93. | Norway | $1,245,000 | +23.4% |
| 94. | Algeria | $1,117,000 | -80.5% |
| 95. | Colombia | $1,052,000 | +25.8% |
| 96. | Syrian Arab Republic | $841,000 | -47.2% |
| 97. | Lebanon | $770,000 | -93.1% |
| 98. | Jamaica | $662,000 | -35.7% |
| 99. | Bosnia/Herzegovina | $591,000 | -35.8% |
| 100. | Armenia | $567,000 | +127.7% |
Focusing on the 100 main pasta exporters, the greatest gains from 2020 to 2021 belong to Eswatini (up 136,042%), Armenia (up 127.7%), Nigeria (up 114.6%), Togo (up 113.1%), Slovakia (up 104.5%) then Pakistan (up 78.9%).
You can change the presentation order in the above table by clicking the triangle icon at the top of the columns. An entry of 0% in the right-most column means that 2020 data was unavailable.
See also Cheese Exports by Country, Wine Importing Countries, International Markets for Imported Tomatoes by Country and Butter Exports by Country
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on July 12, 2022
Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on July 12, 2022
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on July 12, 2022
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on July 12, 2022
Wikipedia, Category:Pasta companies. Accessed on July 12, 2022
