Agricultural production in Iran
According to FAOSTAT, Iran produced 24.5 million t of cereals, 9.5 million t of vegetables (15th in the world), 17.0 million t of fruit (9th in the world), 2.8 million t of meat and 8.5 million t of milk in 2024. Its largest crops by volume were wheat (16.8 million t), sugar cane (9.2 million t) and sugar beet (5.1 million t).
- Products recorded
- 143
- World #1
- 0
- products
- World top 10
- 42
- products
- Year
- 2024
Iran ranks second or third in the world for pistachios, cheese from skimmed cow milk, quinces and butter and ghee of sheep milk.
Among its twelve largest crops, the biggest ten-year change was in watermelons (−68%), followed by wheat (+58%).
Livestock numbers: 5.6 million cattle, 53.8 million sheep and 18.1 million goats.
Totals by group
| Group | Tonnes | World rank | Share | 10-year change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All cereals | 24,511,345 | 25 | 0.78% | +40% |
| All fruit | 16,993,952 | 9 | 1.78% | −11% |
| All sugar crops | 14,239,057 | 20 | 0.64% | +26% |
| All vegetables | 9,465,981 | 15 | 0.8% | −35% |
| All milk | 8,505,341 | 23 | 0.86% | −3.3% |
| All citrus fruit | 4,082,112 | 10 | 2.46% | +20% |
| All roots and tubers | 2,921,904 | 52 | 0.31% | −41% |
| All meat | 2,801,496 | 27 | 0.75% | −1.2% |
| All tree nuts | 877,410 | 6 | 4.77% | −12% |
| All eggs | 788,611 | 21 | 0.79% | +3.6% |
| All pulses | 460,835 | 36 | 0.47% | −25% |
All products by volume, 2024
| Product | Tonnes | World rank | Share | 10-year change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheat | 16,750,000 | 14 | 2.1% | +58% |
| Sugar cane | 9,151,144 | 21 | 0.47% | +39% |
| Cow milk | 7,702,777 | 23 | 0.97% | −5.0% |
| Sugar beet | 5,087,914 | 12 | 1.73% | +7.5% |
| Skim milk of cows | 4,758,599 | 8 | 3.33% | +1.2% |
| Barley | 4,000,000 | 11 | 2.82% | +35% |
| Rice (paddy) | 3,478,820 | 24 | 0.42% | +48% |
| Tomatoes | 3,230,946 | 11 | 1.71% | −49% |
| Potatoes | 2,921,904 | 25 | 0.75% | −41% |
| Apples | 2,346,929 | 7 | 2.4% | −2.7% |
| Other fruits, n.e.c. | 2,339,411 | 4 | 5.97% | +701% |
| Chicken meat | 2,268,606 | 14 | 1.77% | +12% |
| Oranges | 2,228,114 | 9 | 3.31% | +46% |
| Onions, dry | 2,162,900 | 9 | 2% | +4.7% |
| Raw sugar | 1,620,000 | 23 | 0.86% | +44% |
| Grapes | 1,566,663 | 15 | 2.06% | −30% |
| Other vegetables, fresh n.e.c. | 1,311,099 | 18 | 0.47% | +22% |
| Watermelons | 1,280,722 | 10 | 1.22% | −68% |
| Dates | 1,182,144 | 4 | 11.88% | +15% |
| Other tropical fruits, n.e.c. | 1,027,377 | 8 | 4.3% | +2.2% |
| Hen eggs | 788,611 | 19 | 0.84% | +3.6% |
| Molasses | 683,376 | 18 | 0.93% | +57% |
| Peaches and nectarines | 638,117 | 7 | 2.29% | −18% |
| Other citrus fruit, n.e.c. | 635,389 | 4 | 4.74% | +6.1% |
| Tangerines and mandarins | 618,943 | 15 | 1.19% | −11% |
| Eggplants | 596,948 | 7 | 1.04% | +13% |
| Melons | 569,759 | 12 | 2.02% | −71% |
| Lemons and limes | 509,862 | 11 | 2.2% | +6.0% |
| Soya bean oil | 449,000 | 16 | 0.75% | +1,552% |
| Lettuce and chicory | 434,852 | 11 | 1.54% | +5.7% |
| Walnuts, in shell | 411,331 | 4 | 9.46% | +2.0% |
| Sheep milk | 392,112 | 10 | 4% | +45% |
| Cucumbers | 391,313 | 16 | 0.45% | −87% |
| Plums | 378,382 | 5 | 2.98% | +43% |
| Carrots and turnips | 330,686 | 24 | 0.73% | +42% |
| Goat milk | 319,329 | 15 | 1.56% | +8.6% |
| Pistachios, in shell | 316,142 | 3 | 22.9% | −28% |
| Apricots | 304,118 | 4 | 6.61% | +26% |
| Cabbages | 300,361 | 25 | 0.4% | +8.2% |
| Kiwi fruit | 294,659 | 5 | 6.67% | −1.4% |
| Rapeseed | 280,000 | 25 | 0.32% | +92% |
| Maize | 269,805 | 87 | 0.02% | −84% |
| Cheese from skimmed cow milk | 247,180 | 3 | 9.03% | +2.9% |
| Sheep meat | 236,074 | 12 | 2.05% | −15% |
| Beef (cattle meat) | 235,157 | 48 | 0.34% | −42% |
| Butter of cow milk | 200,673 | 10 | 3.35% | +1.2% |
| Soybeans | 200,000 | 31 | 0.05% | +40% |
| Pumpkins and squash | 188,928 | 28 | 0.55% | −6.0% |
| Chick peas, dry | 181,130 | 11 | 1.07% | −33% |
| Beans, dry | 160,809 | 30 | 0.53% | −29% |
| Other stone fruits | 155,729 | 2 | 25.19% | −13% |
| Cherries | 136,921 | 5 | 4.41% | +2.2% |
| Sour cherries | 136,060 | 5 | 9.17% | +55% |
| Bananas | 135,294 | 57 | 0.1% | +6.0% |
| Almonds, in shell | 132,106 | 6 | 3.34% | −3.1% |
| Seed cotton | 120,000 | 29 | 0.16% | −35% |
| Rapeseed or canola oil, crude | 116,500 | 26 | 0.37% | +66% |
| Olives | 115,861 | 18 | 0.45% | +165% |
| Spinach | 99,708 | 9 | 0.32% | +48% |
| Pears | 95,410 | 21 | 0.35% | −66% |
| Chillies and peppers, green | 93,702 | 41 | 0.21% | −1.8% |
| Buffalo milk | 91,123 | 11 | 0.06% | −29% |
| Quinces | 90,109 | 3 | 12.96% | +0.8% |
| Beer | 90,000 | 102 | 0.05% | −55% |
| Grapefruit and pomelos | 89,804 | 13 | 0.91% | −4.2% |
| Honey | 80,249 | 5 | 4.04% | +3.1% |
| Tea leaves | 79,997 | 18 | 0.24% | +11% |
| Lentils, dry | 78,311 | 13 | 0.99% | +9.5% |
| Figs | 75,432 | 5 | 5.64% | −10% |
| Cotton seed | 72,000 | 30 | 0.18% | −30% |
| Mushrooms | 70,005 | 15 | 0.14% | −41% |
| Sunflower seed | 66,000 | 29 | 0.13% | +325% |
| Other beans, green | 65,115 | 17 | 0.25% | +15% |
| Strawberries | 65,059 | 22 | 0.61% | −4.5% |
| Anise, coriander, cumin and fennel | 61,512 | 5 | 2.3% | −6.9% |
| Cauliflower and broccoli | 60,411 | 27 | 0.22% | +4.9% |
| Green garlic | 60,278 | 22 | 0.2% | +3.8% |
| Edible offal of cattle, fresh, chilled or frozen | 51,735 | 29 | 0.53% | −42% |
| Cheese from whole cow milk | 50,940 | 47 | 0.22% | −1.5% |
| Wool, greasy | 48,168 | 8 | 2.84% | −20% |
| Mangoes and guavas | 46,417 | 47 | 0.07% | +7.1% |
| Edible offal of sheep, fresh, chilled or frozen | 45,798 | 10 | 2.31% | −15% |
| Margarine and shortening | 43,408 | 38 | 0.33% | +75% |
| Cheese from milk of goats, fresh or processed | 40,163 | 5 | 8.79% | +6.9% |
| Sunflower-seed oil, crude | 40,000 | 30 | 0.18% | +380% |
| Raw hides and skins of sheep or lambs | 39,188 | 11 | 1.8% | −15% |
| Goat meat | 37,484 | 25 | 0.48% | −58% |
| Sheep fat, unrendered | 32,578 | 5 | 5.08% | −15% |
| Cotton lint | 31,300 | 32 | 0.13% | −48% |
| Persimmons | 30,273 | 9 | 0.6% | +4.8% |
| Raw hides and skins of cattle | 30,100 | 41 | 0.34% | −42% |
| Tallow | 29,955 | 21 | 0.36% | −24% |
| Sesame seed | 29,000 | 26 | 0.43% | −9.4% |
| Cream, fresh | 28,440 | 26 | 0.77% | +1.2% |
| Melonseed | 26,952 | 8 | 2.77% | +42% |
| Buttermilk, dry | 24,836 | 7 | 3.79% | — |
| Tea, packed | 23,814 | 19 | 0.33% | −10% |
| Other pulses n.e.c. | 22,958 | 37 | 0.52% | −8.6% |
| Asparagus | 22,292 | 11 | 0.25% | +1.1% |
| Tobacco, unmanufactured | 20,948 | 26 | 0.35% | +10% |
| Artichokes | 18,675 | 13 | 1.08% | +7.8% |
| Broad beans and horse beans, dry | 17,627 | 26 | 0.28% | −25% |
| Skim milk and whey powder | 17,518 | 29 | 0.37% | +81% |
| Other berries and fruits of the genus vaccinium n.e.c. | 16,553 | 12 | 1.53% | −12% |
| Peas, green | 16,161 | 35 | 0.07% | +26% |
| Cheese from milk of sheep, fresh or processed | 15,822 | 8 | 3.04% | +51% |
| Hazelnuts, in shell | 13,806 | 8 | 1.14% | +37% |
| Butter and ghee of sheep milk | 13,404 | 2 | 21.68% | +51% |
| Whey, dry | 12,524 | 26 | 0.38% | +47% |
| Groundnuts (peanuts) | 12,328 | 64 | 0.02% | +92% |
| Millet | 12,275 | 45 | 0.04% | +21% |
| Leeks | 11,601 | 22 | 0.54% | +1,509% |
| Oil of sesame seed | 9,348 | 18 | 0.78% | −8.5% |
| Cattle fat, unrendered | 7,995 | 38 | 0.23% | −42% |
| Olive oil | 6,863 | 20 | 0.26% | −52% |
| Edible offal of goat, fresh, chilled or frozen | 6,704 | 27 | 0.45% | −58% |
| Raw hides and skins of goats or kids | 6,704 | 26 | 0.44% | −58% |
| Cottonseed oil | 6,400 | 36 | 0.15% | −58% |
| Camel meat | 6,170 | 18 | 0.93% | +23% |
| Turkey meat | 6,035 | 29 | 0.12% | 0.0% |
| Safflower seed | 4,851 | 13 | 0.7% | +219% |
| Other nuts | 4,025 | 29 | 0.37% | −0.9% |
| Chillies and peppers, dry | 3,928 | 36 | 0.07% | +7.7% |
| Buffalo meat | 3,639 | 19 | 0.05% | −55% |
| Duck meat | 2,890 | 36 | 0.04% | +10% |
| Game meat, fresh, chilled or frozen | 2,811 | 41 | 0.14% | −48% |
| Goose meat | 2,630 | 10 | 0.05% | +0.6% |
| Silk-worm cocoons suitable for reeling | 1,800 | 7 | 0.39% | +204% |
| Goat fat, unrendered | 1,370 | 21 | 0.44% | −58% |
| Edible offals of camels and other camelids, fresh, chilled or frozen | 1,234 | 15 | 1.3% | +23% |
| Whole milk, evaporated | 1,146 | 48 | 0.04% | — |
| Other oil seeds, n.e.c. | 905 | 51 | 0.04% | +762% |
| Fat of camels | 617 | 14 | 2.09% | +23% |
| Raw hides and skins of buffaloes | 614 | 19 | 0.04% | −55% |
| Edible offal of buffalo, fresh, chilled or frozen | 607 | 19 | 0.05% | −55% |
| Rye | 446 | 52 | 0% | −22% |
| Whole milk, condensed | 384 | 51 | 0.02% | — |
| Papayas | 301 | 62 | 0% | −6.8% |
| Raw silk (not thrown) | 276 | 8 | 0.29% | +124% |
| Hempseed | 204 | 8 | 0.74% | +5.7% |
| Buffalo fat, unrendered | 132 | 19 | 0.03% | −54% |
| Castor oil seeds | 27 | 30 | 0% | +350% |
| Mustard seed | 3 | 16 | 0% | +200% |
Live animals, 2024
| Product | Head | World rank | Share | 10-year change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chickens | 1,032,877,000 | 6 | 3.73% | +11% |
| Sheep | 53,820,779 | 4 | 3.95% | +71% |
| Goats | 18,107,525 | 15 | 1.52% | −11% |
| Bees | 7,259,700 | 4 | 7.14% | +3.8% |
| Cattle | 5,600,812 | 48 | 0.35% | +32% |
| Turkeys | 2,008,000 | 17 | 0.82% | +0.4% |
| Ducks | 1,599,000 | 30 | 0.13% | −0.1% |
| Asses | 1,568,474 | 8 | 2.91% | −2.0% |
| Geese | 984,000 | 10 | 0.26% | −1.6% |
| Mules and hinnies | 185,430 | 8 | 2.4% | +6.0% |
| Camels | 156,555 | 24 | 0.35% | +44% |
| Buffalo | 137,869 | 21 | 0.07% | +29% |
| Horses | 127,751 | 43 | 0.23% | −8.7% |
Iran among the world’s producers, 2024
Share of world production by country for the largest crops of Iran, which is outlined on the map.
Small island states are not drawn at this scale.
Production per person, 2024
Iran had 91.6 million inhabitants in 2024 (FAOSTAT estimate). Production of its largest products per inhabitant, compared with the world average:
| Product | kg per person | World, kg per person | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wheat | 183 | 97.8 | 1.9× |
| Sugar cane | 99.9 | 238 | 0.4× |
| Cow milk | 84.1 | 97.7 | 0.9× |
| Sugar beet | 55.6 | 36.0 | 1.5× |
| Skim milk of cows | 52.0 | 17.5 | 3.0× |
| Barley | 43.7 | 17.4 | 2.5× |
| Rice (paddy) | 38.0 | 100 | 0.4× |
| Tomatoes | 35.3 | 23.1 | 1.5× |
| Potatoes | 31.9 | 47.8 | 0.7× |
| Apples | 25.6 | 12.0 | 2.1× |
| Other fruits, n.e.c. | 25.5 | 4.81 | 5.3× |
| Chicken meat | 24.8 | 15.7 | 1.6× |
Production divided by population; it is not consumption, because crops are traded and used for feed, processing and industry.
Trade in agricultural products, 2024
Iran reported exports of 123 and imports of 108 of the products covered here; it was the world’s largest exporter of figs.
Largest exports by value
| Product | Tonnes | Value | USD/kg | World rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pistachios, in shell | 98,356 | USD 637 m | 6.48 | 2 of 74 |
| Dates | 315,002 | USD 173 m | 0.55 | 2 of 98 |
| Apples | 325,142 | USD 131 m | 0.40 | 9 of 105 |
| Butter of cow milk | 25,663 | USD 112 m | 4.37 | 12 of 113 |
| Other stimulant, spice and aromatic crops, n.e.c. | 2,950 | USD 84.4 m | 28.61 | 34 of 148 |
| Peas, dry | 74,617 | USD 52.1 m | 0.70 | 13 of 103 |
| Oranges | 73,216 | USD 34.5 m | 0.47 | 13 of 115 |
| Kiwi fruit | 71,848 | USD 34.5 m | 0.48 | 6 of 71 |
| Tomatoes | 123,242 | USD 33.9 m | 0.27 | 14 of 122 |
| Watermelons | 111,468 | USD 26.6 m | 0.24 | 10 of 113 |
Largest imports by value
| Product | Tonnes | Value | USD/kg | World rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soya beans | 2,494,586 | USD 1.23 bn | 0.49 | 13 of 165 |
| Maize (corn) | 4,944,739 | USD 1.20 bn | 0.24 | 13 of 190 |
| Raw cane or beet sugar (centrifugal only) | 867,549 | USD 473 m | 0.54 | 16 of 183 |
| Palm oil | 384,616 | USD 410 m | 1.07 | 25 of 191 |
| Meat of sheep, fresh or chilled | 33,645 | USD 207 m | 6.15 | 9 of 178 |
| Sunflower-seed oil, crude | 137,416 | USD 155 m | 1.13 | 21 of 186 |
| Sunflower seed | 80,685 | USD 151 m | 1.87 | 18 of 152 |
| Cotton lint, ginned | 87,880 | USD 149 m | 1.69 | 12 of 148 |
| Bananas | 294,272 | USD 130 m | 0.44 | 17 of 139 |
| Barley | 651,006 | USD 128 m | 0.20 | 12 of 132 |
FAOSTAT detailed trade data, release of 23 July 2026: quantities in tonnes and values in current US dollars as reported; exports include re-exports. Only the FAO trade items that match Husfarm production pages are included: meat covers fresh or chilled meat only (frozen meat is a separate item), and processed goods such as milled rice or flour are not listed.
Questions and answers
What are the main crops produced in Iran?
By volume, the largest products of Iran in 2024 were wheat (16.8 million t), sugar cane (9.2 million t), cow milk (7.7 million t), according to FAOSTAT.
Is Iran the world’s largest producer of anything?
Not in 2024. Its highest world rank was 2nd, for other stone fruits.
How much wheat does Iran produce per person?
About 183 kg per inhabitant in 2024, compared with a world average of 97.8 kg (production divided by population, FAOSTAT).
What does Iran export most?
By value, its largest agricultural exports in 2024 among the products covered here were pistachios, in shell (USD 637 m), dates (USD 173 m), apples (USD 131 m), according to FAOSTAT.
What does Iran import most?
By value, its largest agricultural imports in 2024 among the products covered here were soya beans (USD 1.23 bn), maize (corn) (USD 1.20 bn), raw cane or beet sugar (centrifugal only) (USD 473 m).
Where does this data come from?
Production, trade and population figures are from FAOSTAT, the statistics database of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Rankings, shares and per-person figures are calculated by Husfarm.
Source: FAO. 2025. FAOSTAT: Crops and livestock products. Accessed on 4 November 2026. fao.org/faostat. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Charts, rankings and changes calculated by Husfarm.