Leading exporters of cocoa beans worldwide in 2022

In 2022, Ecuador was the second world's leading cocoa bean exporter, based on export value. That year, Ecuador exported about 915.5 million U.S. dollars worth of cocoa beans worldwide. In comparison, Belgium exported approximately 50.6 million U.S. dollars worth of cocoa beans that year.

Cocoa bean production and processing

Cocoa is mostly used to produce chocolate, and the process of making cocoa beans contains several meticulous steps. The operation starts with harvesting and cleaning, shifting to fermentation, drying, and roasting; the steps after roasting produce further finished goods. The cocoa bean production in Africa amounted to around 3.5 million metric tons from 2022 to 2023; this value is forecasted to slightly decline by 2024. The Americas and Asia / Oceania produced far less, and their production values are also expected to decrease by 2024. Côte d'Ivoire and the Netherlands have been the two leading countries for cocoa bean processing since 2010; while the values slightly rose and fell in earlier years, there have been gradual increases in recent years.

Cocoa bean grindings

Between 2023 and 2024, Europe is forecasted to have 35.8 percent of all cocoa bean grindings worldwide; Africa and Asia/Oceania follow closely behind. The cocoa bean grindings in 2023 and 2024 in Europe amount to over 1 million metric tons.