China dominated apple production since 1992 and was growing half of the world’s apples by 2022

In 1961, China produced just 167,000 tonnes of apples, accounting for a mere 1% of global production.

Over the next six decades, this figure surged by 28,300%, reaching 47.5 million tonnes by 2022 and capturing 50% of global production — growing at an average rate of around 7.5% per year.

China's rise began with agricultural reforms in the late 1970s and gained momentum in the 1980s and 1990s.

These are the top ten apple-producing countries over the years.

Source:
Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN
Period:
1961-2022
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