T. Ozbun
Research expert covering food retail and all food topics for Italy and Brazil
Pasta market in Italy - statistics & facts
Italy is well-known for its love of pasta, which is a staple food in the country and is consumed by the majority of Italians on a daily basis. Pasta is so beloved in Italy that consumption exceeds the average production of wheat of the country. Due to insufficient domestic wheat production, Italy must import large quantities of durum to meet its needs. In fact, it was the leading country in pasta consumption, with its citizens consuming an average of 23 kilograms of pasta per year. Italy also held the top position among major pasta-producing countries, producing nearly double the amount of pasta as the second-ranked country, the United States.
The country produced 3.5 million tons of durum wheat in 2024, which is ideal for making pasta. Production was mostly concentrated in two southern regions, Apulia and Sicily, from just under 1.2 million hectares of cultivated land throughout the peninsula.
A sustained decrease in the producer price of durum wheat might allow the price of pasta to stabilize and possibly even decline, a prospect that many Italians are hopeful for.
International trade
In 2022, Italy was the leading exporter of pasta worldwide, accounting for 28.9 percent of total pasta exports. In 1955, the majority of pasta produced in the country was consumed domestically, with only five percent exported abroad. However, by 2022, 61 percent of pasta produced in Italy was exported internationally, indicating its immense popularity across the globe. The following year, close to 2.4 million tons of pasta was exported, worth over four billion euros. Germany was the leading destination of Italian pasta, accounting for around 442,000 tons.Production and retail
Italy had 3,630 companies manufacturing macaroni, noodles, couscous, and other similar farinaceous products and 141 factories solely dedicated to the industrial production of pasta which, in 2023, reached a production volume of four million metric tons. Dry pasta was the most popular type sold in the country, with a value of 1.7 billion euros, followed by fresh pasta at 1.1 billion euros.Price inflation
The average monthly producer price of durum wheat decreased throughout 2024, while the index price of pasta and other similar products increased steadily between 2021 and 2023 before decreasing slightly by the end of 2024. Over the course of a decade, the average price of pasta in Italy nearly doubled, and there were significant price disparities between cities in the county. In 2023, for example, Ancona had the highest average price for pasta at 2.44 euros per kilogram, while Cosenza the lowest at just 1.27 euros.A sustained decrease in the producer price of durum wheat might allow the price of pasta to stabilize and possibly even decline, a prospect that many Italians are hopeful for.
