WAO sees global avocado demand rising strongly by 2030

GLOBAL – The global avocado market will keep growing and could reach a fresh high by 2030, according to the World Avocado Organization (WAO).

Zac Bard, CEO of the group, told FreshPlaza that steady demand and wider supply will support this rise over the next few years.

Avocados remain the lowest in output among the top five tropical fruits, which include mango, banana, pineapple and papaya. Even so, the fruit has recorded the fastest growth rate in recent decades.

Europe leads consumption growth

Bard said strong marketing and social media helped turn avocados into a daily food item in many homes.

“Ten years ago, it was seen as an occasional or trendy product. Today, it has become an everyday fruit and an essential part of healthy diets,” he said.

He added that Europe recorded the sharpest rise. “In 2025, across the 27 EU countries, average per capita consumption reached 1.8 kilograms per year, double the 0.9 kilograms recorded in 2016,” Bard explained.

Europe now accounts for 48 percent of global avocado trade, while the United States holds 34 percent. The European market could pass 1.5 million tonnes as it moves closer to US demand levels.

New supply sources will also enter the market. Bard named Guatemala, Ecuador, Tanzania, Rwanda, Portugal and Angola as countries that will ship more fruit in the coming years.

Asia’s slow but steady rise

Asia may also play a bigger role, although past forecasts have not always met expectations.

Imports into the region rose by about 70 percent between 2015 and 2024, climbing from 126,675 tonnes to nearly 216,000 tonnes, based on data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Even so, Asia still accounts for only 6 percent of global trade.

In 2022, per capita consumption in South Korea, Japan and China ranged between 300 and 600 grams among higher income groups. By comparison, consumers in the EU plus the United Kingdom ate 1.6 kilograms per person, while people in the United States consumed 3.7 kilograms, according to the Centre for International Cooperation in Agricultural Research for Development.

Looking ahead, production will continue to grow. Data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the FAO show that global output could rise by 2.1 percent per year by 2034, almost three times faster than in 2015.

For the WAO, steady demand in Europe and fresh interest in Asia could define the next phase of growth for the avocado trade.

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