In 62 years of global cotton production, China ruled 41 years and peaked at 7.6 million tonnes in 2007

  • Global cotton production grew by over 160%, from about 9.5 million tonnes in 1961 to 24.8 million tonnes in 2022.
  • China’s Reign: 41 years at number one. Biggest output: 7.62M tonnes in 2007.
  • USA’s Era: 13 years at the top. Peak production: 5.20M tonnes in 2005.
  • USSR’s Legacy: 5 years crowned. Best year: 2.89M tonnes in 1981.
  • India’s Late Charge: Only 3 years at number one, but a huge 6.13M tonnes in 2020.
  • Shift to Asia: In the early decades, USA dominated; now, it’s mostly China and India running the game.

In the 1960s and 70s, the US led cotton production, dominating most years and setting the global pace. But they weren’t alone. The Soviet Union rose fast, peaking at 2.9 million tonnes in 1981 and briefly overtaking the US in the early 80s. When the USSR broke apart in 1991, its cotton output vanished from global rankings. The numbers didn’t disappear; they scattered, mostly into countries like Uzbekistan.
By 1982, China flipped the script, becoming the world’s top producer. From there, the Asian country dominated almost every year for the next four decades, peaking at a record 7.6 million tonnes in 2007. Only recently did India disrupt the flow, grabbing the number one spot a few times after 2020.
These are the top producers of cotton since 1961.

Source:

Food and Agriculture organization of the UN

Period:

1961-2022
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