The world's largest tobacco exporters were ranked with reference to the United Nations Comtrade database.
20. North Macedonia
Tobacco exports in 2022: $115,448,790
North Macedonia has a long tradition of growing and exporting oriental tobacco, mainly of the Prilep, Jacka, and Basma types. It also received the lion's share of crop subsidies due to the large number of households engaged in tobacco farming, averaging a quarter of total agricultural subsidies from 2008 to 2019.
19. Zambia
Tobacco exports in 2022: $132,930,007
Tobacco cultivation is very common in Zambia, with an estimated 20,000 households working in the industry across the country. The country's tobacco exports have soared rapidly over the past few decades, from $1.4 million in 1995 to nearly $133 million in 2022.
18. France
Tobacco exports in 2022: $143,031,271
Tobacco cultivation in France has decreased rapidly over the past few years, from 3,149 hectares in 2016 to 1,205 hectares in 2021, mainly due to the gradual elimination of tobacco subsidies in the European Union in 2006. Still, some banks continue to support tobacco farming, with $733 million invested in the business in November 2023 alone.
17. Mozambique
Tobacco exports in 2022: $150,547,913
Tobacco cultivation is considered the backbone of Mozambique's economy, with the country's tobacco exports amounting to US$49.4 million in the first nine months of 2023, almost 25% less than the previous year. Most of the tobacco is grown in the Tete and Niassa regions, which account for more than 89% of the country's total production.
16. Tanzania
Tobacco exports in 2022: $178,523,613
Tanzania has been cultivating tobacco since the 50s of the 20th century and is an important source of foreign exchange for the country. In 2023, the East African country produced 125 million kilograms of tobacco, with more than 50% of the product being purchased by local companies and sold abroad for the first time.
Tanzania is one of the three countries with the largest tobacco sales in Africa.
15. Philippines
Tobacco exports in 2022: $183,816,011
First introduced in the 1950s, tobacco is widely cultivated in the provinces of the Philippines, and the industry supports more than 2 million jobs across the country. In 2022, 53% of the country's total tobacco production was exported, of which 47% was supplied to local tobacco manufacturers.
14. Dominican Republic
Tobacco exports in 2022: $187,320,997
Tobacco has been cultivated in the Dominican Republic for hundreds of years, and the country produces some delicate tobacco varieties such as Criollo, Piloto Cubano, and Olor Dominicano, among others. Dominica is also known worldwide for its high-quality cigars, ranking among the countries that produce the best cigars. World Tobacco.
13. Greece
Tobacco exports in 2022: $221,458,102
Tobacco is an important cash crop in Greece, and the country is a major supplier of high-quality spice tobacco, roasted Virginia tobacco, and some burley tobacco. However, the industry faced a major setback last year, mainly due to farmer retention and adverse weather conditions.
Greece is one of the largest exporters of tobacco in Europe.
12. Belgium
Tobacco exports in 2022: $241,250,308
Despite the EU's efforts to reduce tobacco cultivation and fight cancer, the bloc continues to provide millions of euros in subsidies to tobacco farmers through its Common Agricultural Policy. Illicit tobacco remains a big problem in Belgium, with nearly 10% of the total cigarettes smoked in the country illegal, and the national treasury will spend more than $270 million in customs duties and VAT in 2022.
11. Turkey
Tobacco exports in 2022: $261,113,663
Tobacco was introduced to the Ottoman Empire by the Spaniards in the 17th century, and the country is currently the world's largest exporter of aromatic spice tobacco, a sun-dried variety of small-leaved tobacco. Turkish tobacco is particularly favored by pipe lovers due to its mildness, low carcinogen, and aromatic taste.
10. Indonesia
Tobacco exports in 2022: $266,025,607
Indonesia is known for its abundant tobacco variety. In 2021, the country produced more than 237,000 tons of raw cigarettes, most of which came from three provinces: East Java, Central Java, and West Nusa Tenggara.
With more than 220,000 hectares of land used to grow cash crops, Indonesia is one of the countries with the most tobacco cultivation in the world.
9. Argentina
Tobacco exports in 2022: $268,491,792
Argentina is one of the largest tobacco producers in South America, with 95,600 tonnes of tobacco produced in 2022, accounting for about 1.7% of the 5.8 million tonnes of global tobacco production. Belgium, China and Germany are the main export markets for Argentine tobacco.
8. Italy
Tobacco exports in 2022: $337,301,267
With an annual production of 50 million kilograms, Italy is the largest producer of tobacco leaves in the European Union. Most of this crop is cultivated in the regions of Campania, Umbria, Veneto and Tuscany.
7. Germany
Tobacco exports in 2022: $366,408,131
Tobacco cultivation used to be an important part of the German economy, and thousands of farmers were engaged in tobacco cultivation in the 50s of the 20th century. Fast forward to today and you'll find that there are less than 100 tobacco farmers in the country, largely due to the phasing out of EU subsidies and over-regulation of the industry. Most of the German tobacco was sold to the Middle East, where it was consumed in the form of hookah.
Due to its small domestic production, Germany has to buy hundreds of millions of dollars worth of tobacco from abroad every year, making it one of the largest tobacco importers.
6. Malawi
Tobacco exports in 2022: $407,581,156
Tobacco is the backbone of Malawi's economy, historically accounting for about 70% of the country's export earnings, but now accounts for more than 50%. In 2015, tobacco cultivation accounted for more than 5% of Malawi's total farmland – the highest proportion in the world at the time.
Malawi ranks sixth on our list of top tobacco exporters.
5. China
Tobacco exports in 2022: $560,738,230
China produces more than 2 million tons of tobacco every year, and about 20 million farmers are engaged in tobacco cultivation, and Yunnan Province is the largest tobacco producing region.
China National Tobacco Corporation (CNTC) is the world's largest cigarette producer, accounting for an estimated 97% of the country's market share. A small percentage of CNTC's products are also sold to international markets.
In 2022, China's imports will exceed US$1.35 billion, making it the largest tobacco importer in the world.
4. India
Tobacco exports in 2022: $815,929,770
Tobacco is one of the main cash crops grown in India and is mostly grown in Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat and neighbouring states like Karnataka and Maharashtra. About 6 million farmers and 20 million farm workers are engaged in tobacco cultivation in India, with flue-cured tobacco and burley tobacco being the main types of tobacco exported by the South Asian country.
Headquartered in Kolkata, ITC Limited is a market leader in the Indian cigarette industry with revenues of over $8.4 billion for the last fiscal year ended March 30, 2023.
India ranks fourth among the largest tobacco exporters.
3. United States
Tobacco exports in 2022: $863,876,697
Although tobacco cultivation in the United States has decreased significantly since the 80s of the 20th century, it is still one of the largest tobacco producers. North Carolina and Kentucky are the states with the most tobacco cultivation in the United States.
The U.S. is also home to two of the world's largest tobacco companies, Philip Morris International and Altria Group, making it a natural major exporter of tobacco leaves.
2. Zimbabwe
Tobacco exports in 2022: $926,082,716
Zimbabwe is Africa's largest tobacco exporter, and the country aims to transform tobacco cultivation into a $5 billion industry by 2025. However, the industry has had a devastating impact on the country's environment, with about 60,000 hectares of forests burned every year due to the lack of available farmland to grow tobacco in Zimbabwe.
By establishing a grower contract system operated by the state-owned China National Tobacco Corporation, China became an integral part of Zimbabwe's tobacco boom. As a result, the bulk of Zimbabwe's tobacco exports naturally went to China.
1. Brazil
Tobacco exports in 2022: $2,295,544,069
Tobacco is a major contributor to the economy of southern Brazil, with more than 124,000 tobacco farmers spread across 491 municipalities in the states of Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina and Paraná. However, the area has recently been hit by excessive rainfall and hail, which has caused the plant roots to be flooded and the leaves to appear spotted.
In 2022, the majority of Brazilian tobacco exports were sold to Europe, with Belgium accounting for a 26% share. At the same time, the second largest buyer is China, followed by the United States.