Ever wonder which country in the world produces the most wine? Or where the most wine is consumed? Here are the latest figures on world wine production by country from the OIV, published in July 2019:
Wine production by country (2018, in million hectolitres)
Italy – 54.8
France – 48.6
Spain – 44.4
The United States – 23.9
Argentina – 14.5
Australia – 12.9
Chile – 12.9
Germany – 10.3
South Africa – 9.5
China* – 9.1
Portugal – 6.1
Russia* – 5.5
Romania – 5
Hungary – 4
Brazil – 3.1
New Zealand – 3
Austria – 3
Greece – 2
Ukraine – 2
Moldovia – 2
Switzerland – 1
Bulgaria – 1
World Total – 292 mhl in 2018
* approximations, official figures not available.
Top Ten wine countries (wine production by country) in 2017:
The Top Ten wine countries occasionally change their ranking, depending on the vintage. Currently the top ten wine countries by production are Italy, France, Spain, the USA, Argentina, Australia, Chile, Germany, South Africa, China and Portugal.
The Wine Institute also has a more exhaustive list of wine production by country, last updated with statistics from 2015.
Vineyard surface area by country
Which countries have the biggest vineyard surface area? Here’s a list of the Top 20 wine countries in terms of vineyard surface area, or hectarage under vine.
Spain = 969,000 hectares under vine
China = 875,000 hectares under vine
France = 793,000 hectares under vine
Italy = 705,000 hectares under vine
Turkey = 448,000 hectares under vine
United States = 439,000 hectares under vine
Argentina = 218,000 hectares under vine
Chile = 212,000 hectares under vine
Portugal = 192,000 hectares under vine
Romania = 191,000 hectares under vine
Iran = 153,000 hectares under vine
India = 151,000 hectares under vine
Maldovia = 147,000 hectares under vine
Australia = 146,000 hectares under vine
South Africa = 126,000 hectares under vine
Uzbekistan = 111,000 hectares under vine
Greece = 106,000 hectares under vine
Germany = 103,000 hectares under vine
Brazil = 85,000 hectares under vine
Hungary = 68,000 hectares under vine
Beyond the Top 20:
Bulgaria = 67,000 hectares under vine
Russia = 63,000 hectares under vine
Austria = 46,000 hectares under vine
New Zealand = 39,000 hectares under vine
Not all of these countries are producing wine, some of them are more focused on grapes for eating and juice production:
Wine consumption by country
Top ten wine countries (total volume of wine consumption by country)
The largest volume of wine is consumed in the United States, followed by France, Italy, Germany, China, the UK, Argentina, Spain, Russia and Australia. These statistics by the Wine Institute show the total volume of wine consumed (regardless of the size of the population).
However, per capita wine consumption shows a very different pattern:
Top ten wine countries for per capita consumption
The country with the highest per capita wine consumption is Andorra with 56.9 litres a year per person, followed by the Vatican City (56.2), Croatia (46.9), Portugal (43.7), France (43.1), Slovenia (42.5), Macedonia (40.4), Falkland Islands (38.5), Switzerland (37) and Italy (34.1).
The top 20 countries in terms of per capita wine consumption are:
Andorra – 56.9
Vatican City – 56.2
Croatia – 46.9
Portugal – 43.7
France – 43.1
Slovenia – 42.5
Macedonia – 40.4
Falkland Islands – 38.5
Switzerland – 37
Italy – 34.1
Saint Pierre and Miquelon – 32.7
Moldova – 30.7
Austria – 29.4
Uruguay – 28.1
Greece – 27.5
Romania – 27.4
Saint Helena – 25.8
Bermuda – 25.8
Sweden – 25.7
Germany – 25
The UK is in 29th position, with the consumption at 21.3 litres per person, and the US is in 55th position – with just 9.9 litres of wine consumed per capita, according to statistics by the Wine Institute.
Amanda Barnes has been writing about wine and travel since 2003. South America has been her home since 2009, but she is currently on a mission to unlock the world of wine by traveling Around the World in 80 Harvests!
