More Than 50 Percent Of The World's Apples Are Produced In This Country

While Washington state may famously produce the most apples in the United States, it's actually a country across the globe that grows the most apples in the world. In fact, this country produces more than half of all apples, boasting a whopping 57% of total production, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service. And it's no surprise, as this country also produces the most eggs globally, is the leader in potato production, and even grows the most strawberries. Of course, we're talking about none other than China, the undisputed produce powerhouse.

At 48 million metric tons of apples in the 2024/25 season (a 3% increase from the previous season), China far surpasses the runner-up, the European Union, which is expected to produce 11.01 million metric tons and account for 13% of global production (per the U.S. Department of Agriculture). And while the United States may consume the most apples in the world per capita, it still comes in third place in production, with approximately 6% of global production and 4.89 million metric tons in total. When it comes to variety, Fuji, one of the most popular sweet apples in the world, accounts for more than 60% of China's total apple production, according to the International Society for Horticultural Science. Its other most produced varieties include Golden Delicious, Gala, and Jonagold.

China began cultivating apples more than 2,000 years ago. In fact, modern apples have been linked to the Silk Road, an ancient network of trade routes that connected China to other parts of the world, including Europe. According to historic sources, today's apples are descendants of the wild apples found in the Tien Shan mountain range of Central Asia. During the era of the Silk Road, these fruits were picked, eaten, and then the seeds were either planted or the cores discarded along the trade routes, helping the apple move further west.

Today, over 50% of China's apple production happens in the growing regions found in Shandong and Shaanxi provinces, according to the New York State Horticultural Society. And while its total production area is expected to decrease in the 2024/25 season to 1.91 million hectares, its growing area still wildly surpasses other countries. For example, the U.S. has a production area measuring 297,100 acres (or 120,232 hectares). And that's not the only surprising fact coming out of China's dominance. Thanks to its commitment to sustainable farming practices, the country has also integrated green farming techniques. In the apple-producing regions, China saw a decrease in the use of the chemical fertilizer nitrogen by 46.8%, and an increase in manure by 33.1%, which worked in tandem to help "mitigate greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 12.6%", according to a research article published in Plant Communications.