Italy on the high for pasta manufacturing, export and consumption | EUROtoday

«Compatriots are the most important customers with 23.3 kilos per capita per yr – the group factors out -, however virtually 60% of Italian pasta manufacturing finally ends up on tables everywhere in the world, with exports reaching over 200 international locations. Not solely that, in response to an opinion ballot commissioned in current weeks by the UIF pasta makers (AstraRicerche Institute, CAWI methodology, 1,020 on-line interviews with a consultant pattern of Italians aged 18-70) for 8 out of 10 Italians it’s the undisputed image of Italianness, in addition to an envoy of Made in Italy for nearly your complete pattern, with a proportion of 96.6%. Not solely that: pasta is positioned within the “Top 5″ of the weather that make Italians pleased with being one, along with monuments, artwork, pure landscapes and literature. «For Italians, pasta is a query of belonging and a supply of pleasure. This analysis confirms this and comes at a politically delicate second – feedback Margherita Mastromauro, President of the Italian Pasta Makers of the Italian Food Union -. The pasta sector is a pillar of our financial system and our cultural identification. Any measure that hinders their competitiveness on worldwide markets represents a menace not just for companies, however for your complete Made in Italy system.”

According to the study, 80 million portions of Italian pasta were offered in homes and restaurants in almost 200 countries last year. The increase in exports recorded in 2024 is also confirmed in the first half of 2025, with a growth in volume of +2.5% compared to the same period in 2024 (1,195,025,792 in 2024 vs 1,224,476,880 in 2025). «The Italian pasta industry confirms itself as a strategic asset of the Italian agri-food sector – the organization concludes – despite a scenario characterized by heavy export duties to the USA, inflation, conflicts, increased costs of raw materials and climate changes which influence durum wheat harvests».

France and Greece: two key markets for consumption and production

The Italian primacy is also reflected in the other large European pasta markets. In France, according to data from the Chambre de l’Agriculture, in 2022 consumption reached 566,616 tonnes: over 96% of French people buy pasta and seven out of ten eat it at least once a week. Nearly 16 packs are sold every second, for a total of 488 million packs per year. Consumers across the Alps thus eat twice as much rice and buy pasta on average 12 times a year. On the production front, in 2020 France produced 453,705 tonnes, with a marked preference for spaghetti (23% of choices). Furthermore, 26% of French people declare loyalty to a specific brand.

In Greece, pasta represents a deeply rooted food. According to data from the Union of European Producers (UN.AFPA), the country is second in the EU for per capita consumption with 12.2 kg per year, behind Italy (23.3 kg) and ahead of Germany (10.1 kg). Globally, Greece is fourth, surpassed by Italy, Tunisia and Venezuela. In 2024, European consumption exceeded 4 million tonnes for the first time.

Production can be rising: in 2024 Greece maintained fourth European place with 185 thousand tonnes, equal to three.1% of the EU complete. The whole European market recorded a rise within the common promoting value, which rose to 1.50 euros per kilo, in keeping with the inflationary pressures of current years.