The world’s top 6 exporters of rice by total weight are Djibouti, India, Thailand, Cambodia, Pakistan then the United States of America. Combined, those leading suppliers by volume sold 534.1 million tons of rice during 2023 or 98% of global shipments by weight.
One of the issues that this analysis focuses on is whether higher volumes of rice exports correspond with lower average unit prices due to economies of scale.
Top Rice Export Countries by Shipment Weight
The top exporters of rice as measured by tonnage are listed below. Based on that weight metric, these key suppliers of rice on international markets accounted for 99.98% of the world’s rice exports in 2023.
| Rice Exporter | Tons | 2022-3 | 2019-23 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Djibouti | 494,496,914 | -1.4% | 0% |
| 2 | India | 17,864,984 | -19.7% | +81.9% |
| 3 | Thailand | 8,747,565 | +13.7% | +15.4% |
| 4 | Cambodia | 5,756,507 | +797% | +936.4% |
| 5 | Pakistan | 4,560,394 | -0.9% | -0.6% |
| 6 | United States | 2,697,048 | +8.7% | -25.9% |
| 7 | mainland China | 1,625,889 | -26.6% | -40.8% |
| 8 | Myanmar | 1,595,315 | -26% | -31.5% |
| 9 | Brazil | 1,454,048 | -16.6% | +36.9% |
| 10 | Uruguay | 1,109,403 | +0.6% | +23.1% |
| 11 | Paraguay | 910,575 | +10.5% | +23.4% |
| 12 | Italy | 675,815 | +0.9% | -0.4% |
| 13 | Belgium | 433,447 | -31.9% | +17.3% |
| 14 | Netherlands | 281,088 | -4.8% | +22.1% |
| 15 | Australia | 261,078 | +21.7% | +91.9% |
| 16 | Türkiye | 258,016 | +13.8% | +27.6% |
| 17 | Argentina | 216,820 | -31.4% | -47% |
| 18 | Tanzania | 215,975 | 0% | +89.7% |
| 19 | Spain | 190,751 | -29.1% | -34.1% |
| 20 | South Africa | 159,981 | +9% | +43.5% |
| 21 | Singapore | 156,797 | +19.8% | +107.4% |
| 22 | Taiwan | 128,748 | -8.4% | +41.4% |
| 23 | Malaysia | 123,512 | +8.3% | +396.9% |
| 24 | Bulgaria | 116,503 | -19.1% | +36.6% |
| 25 | Kazakhstan | 115,807 | +6.7% | +28.1% |
| 26 | Greece | 104,904 | -13.6% | -10.5% |
| 27 | Senegal | 80,705 | -12.3% | -38.1% |
| 28 | Portugal | 78,319 | -26% | -10.3% |
| 29 | South Korea | 60,805 | +11.6% | +15.5% |
| 30 | Germany | 49,296 | +9.9% | -35.4% |
| 31 | Poland | 43,707 | -17.7% | +21.1% |
| 32 | Japan | 43,333 | +41.7% | -11% |
| 33 | Suriname | 39,431 | -8% | -45.6% |
| 34 | Russia | 34,426 | -30.4% | -80% |
| 35 | Laos | 32,042 | -52.9% | -10.4% |
| 36 | France | 30,497 | -44.8% | -44.5% |
| 37 | United Kingdom | 30,147 | -9% | 0% |
| 38 | Romania | 25,707 | -31.8% | -2.7% |
| 39 | Canada | 24,433 | +16.9% | +81.7% |
| 40 | Czech Republic | 23,061 | -12.2% | -3.1% |
| 41 | Ivory Coast | 21,705 | -30.7% | +15.3% |
| 42 | Costa Rica | 19,939 | -5.8% | +51.9% |
| 43 | Lebanon | 19,336 | +893.6% | +151.8% |
| 44 | El Salvador | 15,290 | +97.8% | +405% |
| 45 | Lithuania | 15,030 | +26.4% | +141.6% |
| 46 | Peru | 10,862 | -45.6% | -70.9% |
| 47 | Benin | 10,623 | +1578% | +461.8% |
| 48 | Sri Lanka | 10,017 | +80.4% | +89.7% |
| 49 | Hong Kong | 9,641 | -0.1% | -36.7% |
| 50 | North Macedonia | 8,024 | -38.6% | +45% |
By shipment weight, the fastest-growing exporters of rice from 2022 to 2023 were Benin (up 1,578%), Lebanon (up 893.6%), Cambodia (up 797%), El Salvador (up 97.8%), Sri Lanka (up 80.4%) and Japan (up 41.7%).
Posting the severest declines in tons of exported rice from year to year were Laos (down -52.9% from 2022), Peru (down -45.6%), France (down -44.8%), North Macedonia (down -38.6%) and Belgium (down -31.9%).
Searchable List of Average Unit Prices for Exported Rice
Overall, the world’s average unit price per ton of exported rice was US$850 for 2023 inflating by 8.2% from 2022 and 25.1% over the 5 years starting in 2019.
The automated table below enables you to compare the average unit prices for exported rice for 50 of the world’s biggest exporters of rice by weight. Amounts shown are in US dollars.
You can change the presentation order by clicking the triangle icon at the top of any of the columns in the data table.
The right-most columns highlight the change in unit price for each supplier’s globally exported rice in 2023 compared to 2022 or 5 years earlier in 2019. (A value of 0% in those column means data for that year was unavailable.)
| Rice Exporter | Avg Price | 2022-3 | 2019-23 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United Kingdom | $2,101 | +22.7% | 0% |
| 2 | Denmark | $2,098 | +3.8% | +49.6% |
| 3 | Japan | $1,605 | -14.3% | +40.5% |
| 4 | Germany | $1,583 | +1.6% | +60.2% |
| 5 | France | $1,541 | +46.3% | +73.3% |
| 6 | Canada | $1,520 | +9.9% | +29.8% |
| 7 | Poland | $1,518 | +37.5% | +24.1% |
| 8 | Netherlands | $1,472 | +12% | +21.4% |
| 9 | Italy | $1,433 | +20.3% | +57.1% |
| 10 | Czech Republic | $1,292 | +13.9% | +36.9% |
| 11 | Portugal | $1,168 | +32.3% | +79.7% |
| 12 | Spain | $1,145 | +29.5% | +62.9% |
| 13 | Hong Kong | $1,134 | +0.1% | +2.7% |
| 14 | Belgium | $1,080 | +33.3% | +26.9% |
| 15 | Australia | $1,079 | +5.8% | +5% |
| 16 | Lithuania | $1,021 | +7.4% | +17.4% |
| 17 | Romania | $1,017 | +20.6% | +36% |
| 18 | Greece | $849 | +25.2% | +61.7% |
| 19 | Bulgaria | $790 | +19.5% | +78.7% |
| 20 | United States | $747 | +8.7% | +45.6% |
| 21 | Laos | $734 | +1% | +31.8% |
| 22 | Türkiye | $692 | +1.8% | +28.9% |
| 23 | Taiwan | $689 | +20.2% | +26% |
| 24 | Russia | $678 | -3.1% | +49.7% |
| 25 | El Salvador | $651 | -0.8% | -4.3% |
| 26 | Pakistan | $632 | +23.7% | +27.4% |
| 27 | South Africa | $615 | -4.9% | +5.5% |
| 28 | mainland China | $605 | +29.6% | +57.1% |
| 29 | India | $586 | +21.1% | -15.4% |
| 30 | Thailand | $585 | +13.6% | +5.4% |
| 31 | Tanzania | $585 | 0% | +45.2% |
| 32 | South Korea | $584 | +69.3% | +17.3% |
| 33 | Suriname | $584 | 0% | +59.6% |
| 34 | Argentina | $574 | +24% | +53.1% |
| 35 | Uruguay | $538 | +19% | +29% |
| 36 | Singapore | $522 | +21.4% | +10.8% |
| 37 | Lebanon | $506 | -35.2% | -21.6% |
| 38 | Senegal | $485 | +14.1% | +24.4% |
| 39 | Ivory Coast | $483 | -5.8% | +2.8% |
| 40 | Myanmar | $466 | +27.7% | +38.7% |
| 41 | Paraguay | $456 | +28.1% | +48.5% |
| 42 | Brazil | $427 | +13.3% | +23.4% |
| 43 | Malaysia | $393 | -0.3% | -9.9% |
| 44 | Cambodia | $326 | -49.7% | -57% |
| 45 | Kazakhstan | $314 | -35.7% | +15.9% |
The lowest average unit prices for exported rice per ton belong to sellers in Kazakhstan, Cambodia, Malaysia, Brazil and Paraguay. Other low-cost rice suppliers to global markets include Myanmar, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Lebanon and Singapore.
The fastest growers in average unit prices from 2022 to 2023 were Benin (up 1,578%), Lebanon (up 893.6%), Cambodia (up 797%), El Salvador (up 97.8%), Sri Lanka (up 80.4%) and Japan (up 41.7%).
Year over year, the greatest reductions in average unit prices collected for exported rice by ton were recorded by international suppliers in Laos (down -52.9% from 2022), Peru (down -45.6%), France (down -44.8%), North Macedonia (down -38.6%) then Belgium (down -31.9%).
Average Unit Prices for Top 10 Rice Exporters
Below are the 10 major exporters of rice by weight, showcasing each country’s corresponding average unit price per ton of globally exported rice in US dollars. These key suppliers sold 98.6% of overall rice exports by weight in 2023 and are listed in descending rank starting with the biggest rice exporters.
- Djibouti: US$1 per ton in 2023 (2022 data unavailable)
- India: $586 (up 21.1% from 2022)
- Thailand: $585 (up 13.6%)
- Cambodia: $326 (down -49.7%)
- Pakistan: $632 (up 23.7%)
- United States: $747 (up 8.7%)
- mainland China: $605 (up 29.6%)
- Myanmar: $466 (up 27.7%)
- Brazil: $427 (up 13.3%)
- Uruguay: $538 (up 19%)
All the top 10 rice suppliers by weight charged a comparatively lower average unit price below the global average of $850 per ton for all rice exporters.
That data suggests that economies of scale for the world’s 10 biggest exporters of rice may lead to the lowest average unit prices specific to rice exporting countries, but not necessarily.
Major Rice Importing Countries by Quantity
Turning attention to countries that buy rice on international markets, the top 10 rice importers below accounted for 94.2% of globally imported rice by weight during 2023.
- Djibouti: 497.9 million tons (90.7% of global rice imports)
- Philippines: 3.6 million tons (0.7%)
- Indonesia: 3.1 million tons (0.6%)
- mainland China: 2.6 million tons (0.5%)
- Vietnam: 2.25 million tons (0.4%)
- Iraq: 1.84 million tons (0.3%)
- Saudi Arabia: 1.51 million tons (0.3%)
- Benin: 1.49 million tons (0.3%)
- Malaysia: 1.41 million tons (0.3%)
- United States: 1.34 million tons (0.2%)
Three among the 10 biggest importing countries by imported rice volume are highly populated Asian nations including Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam. That trio is geographically close to some of the lowest-cost rice exporters on that same continent.
See also Rice Exports by Country (dollar value), Rice Imports by Country (dollar value), Crude Oil Exports by Country, Petroleum Gas Exports by Country and OPEC Countries Crude Oil Exports Sales Data
Research Sources:
Alibaba’s supplier information for rice. Accessed on October 28, 2024
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Agriculture – Products. Accessed on October 28, 2024
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on October 28, 2024
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on October 28, 2024
OXFAM Research Reports, Cereal Secrets, pp 9-10. Accessed on October 28, 2024
Wikipedia, Rice. Accessed on October 28, 2024