Global Sugar to Reach 200 Million Tons in 2034 | OECD-FAO Outlook

Sugar is essential for sweets and drinks. Worldwide, consumption is still continuing to rise. From the OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2025-2034, jointly compiled by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), we read the map of sugar for the next 10 years.

Growth will come from Asia and Africa

According to the outlook, global sugar consumption is expected to grow at an annual pace of 1.2%, reaching 202 million tons in 2034. Asia is projected to account for 64% of the increase, and Africa for 29%. By country, India is expected to make the largest contribution, followed by Indonesia, Pakistan, and China. The main reasons are rising demand for processed foods and beverages as urbanization and incomes grow.

Even so, on a per-person basis, Africa is expected to be 15.6kg and Asia 21.2kg in 2034, below the global average of 23.1kg.

Key point: Global sugar consumption is expected to reach 202 million tons in 2034, up 1.2% per year. Meanwhile, in traditional major consuming regions such as Europe, North America, and Latin America, per-person consumption is expected to decline due to health awareness, taxes on beverages, and reformulation of ingredients.

Countries cutting back, and Japan staying steady

By contrast, regions such as Europe and the Americas, where per-person consumption has historically been high, are expected to continue trending downward. In Latin America, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and more recently Brazil have introduced taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages, and some countries require front-of-package labeling. The European Union is expected to remain among the highest regions in per-person consumption, but the decline is expected to continue.

The report also notes that the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends limiting intake of free sugars to less than 10% of total daily energy intake. For Japan and South Korea, it says per-person consumption is already relatively low, and that there will be no major change apart from a decline in volume due to population decrease.

Production is concentrated in Brazil

More than 85% of production comes from sugarcane, and export shares in 2034 are expected to be about 52% for Brazil, 14% for Thailand, and 8% for India, indicating stronger concentration in Brazil. International prices are expected to decline gradually, but the report also points out that they are easily affected by weather and profitability relative to ethanol.

What are the trends in sweets around the world? The world chooses sweets by texture, global efforts around salt Salt around the world as well.

Reference: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), World Health Organization (WHO)

—The Value Village Editorial Team