Palm remains world’s most important vegetable oil in terms of production

According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), global production of vegetable oils in 2025/26 is expected to reach 234.5 million tonnes.

This represents a 6.7 million tonne rise compared to 2024/25. In other words, production could fully cover the projected demand of 228.9 million tonnes.

According to research by Agrarmarkt Informations-Gesellschaft, palm oil is set to remain the world’s most important vegetable oil in terms of production and consumption, with global output estimated at a record 80.4 million tonnes. This translates to a 2.2 million tonne increase over 2024/25.

Indonesia remains the largest producer with an output of 47.5 million tonnes, followed by Malaysia with 19.2 million tonnes and Thailand with just under 3.4 million tonnes.

Soybean oil production is expected to grow just under 2.2 million tonnes to 70.8 million tonnes in the coming crop year, potentially setting a new record. China, by far the largest importer of soybeans, remains the main producer of soybean oil with 20.5 million tonnes, followed by the US with just over 13.3 million tonnes. Production of rapeseed oil is projected to rise 617,000 tonnes to a total of 34.5 million tonnes in 2025/26. Sunflower seed oil output is seen to grow around 1.8 million tonnes to 21.9 million tonnes, primarily due to higher production in Ukraine and the EU-27.

Tags: Ukraine, palm oil, China, rapeseed oil, USDA, consumption, vegetable oils, sunflower seed oil, soybean oil, demand, Indonesia, EU, US, Production, Thailand, Malaysia