Cotton (fibre) production over time (1961–2023)
Follow cotton (fibre) production for the world’s countries, year by year, from 1961 to 2023.
- The country ranked first was United States (3.11M t) in 1961 and is China (5.62M t) in 2023. In between, the country ranked first changed 13 times. This is the first place among today’s countries: regions that later split, such as the former Soviet Union, have no values from before the split.
Japan and the leading countries
| Country | 1961 | 1970 | 1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2020 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 China | 800K t | 2.28M t | 2.71M t | 4.51M t | 4.42M t | 5.96M t | 5.91M t | 5.62M t |
 India | 884K t | 954K t | 1.29M t | 1.67M t | 1.64M t | 5.68M t | 6.13M t | 5.53M t |
 Brazil | 423K t | 645K t | 553K t | 634K t | 663K t | 973K t | 2.76M t | 2.92M t |
 United States | 3.11M t | 2.22M t | 2.42M t | 3.38M t | 3.74M t | 3.94M t | 3.18M t | 2.63M t |
 Pakistan | 324K t | 542K t | 715K t | 1.64M t | 1.83M t | 1.95M t | 1.2M t | 1.74M t |
 Japan | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Countries with data | 82 | 83 | 82 | 85 | 86 | 85 | 86 | 85 |
Ranking and map for any year
Choose a year to see that year’s top countries and the world map. Colors split that year’s ranking into seven steps.
| Rank | Country | Cotton (fibre) production |
|---|
Biggest changes, 1961–2023
Compared among the countries that have data in both 1961 and 2023, ranked by how much the amount grew or shrank (the difference in quantity, not a percentage).
| Country | 1961 | 2023 | Change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 800K t | 5.62M t | up 4.82M t | #3 → #1 |
| India | 884K t | 5.53M t | up 4.64M t | #2 → #2 |
| Brazil | 423K t | 2.92M t | up 2.5M t | #5 → #3 |
| Pakistan | 324K t | 1.74M t | up 1.41M t | #7 → #5 |
 Australia | 2.6K t | 1.25M t | up 1.25M t | #49 → #6 |
| Country | 1961 | 2023 | Change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 3.11M t | 2.63M t | down 483K t | #1 → #4 |
 Egypt | 336K t | 77.5K t | down 258K t | #6 → #23 |
 Mexico | 424K t | 190K t | down 234K t | #4 → #15 |
 Peru | 134K t | 11K t | down 123K t | #9 → #45 |
 Syria | 121K t | 32.8K t | down 87.8K t | #11 → #31 |
The number of countries differs between the years, so the ranks are not directly comparable.
All countries in key years
Open the table (countries with data)
| Country | 1961 | 1970 | 1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2020 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 800K t | 2.28M t | 2.71M t | 4.51M t | 4.42M t | 5.96M t | 5.91M t | 5.62M t |
| India | 884K t | 954K t | 1.29M t | 1.67M t | 1.64M t | 5.68M t | 6.13M t | 5.53M t |
| Brazil | 423K t | 645K t | 553K t | 634K t | 663K t | 973K t | 2.76M t | 2.92M t |
| United States | 3.11M t | 2.22M t | 2.42M t | 3.38M t | 3.74M t | 3.94M t | 3.18M t | 2.63M t |
| Pakistan | 324K t | 542K t | 715K t | 1.64M t | 1.83M t | 1.95M t | 1.2M t | 1.74M t |
| Australia | 2.6K t | 24.7K t | 83.2K t | 305K t | 741K t | 352K t | 115K t | 1.25M t |
 Uzbekistan | – | – | – | – | 975K t | 1.14M t | 997K t | 811K t |
 Türkiye | 212K t | 400K t | 500K t | 655K t | 880K t | 817K t | 656K t | 777K t |
 Kazakhstan | – | – | – | – | 95.5K t | 92.5K t | 108K t | 328K t |
 Greece | 93.8K t | 107K t | 116K t | 223K t | 432K t | 184K t | 317K t | 305K t |
 Argentina | 121K t | 145K t | 145K t | 302K t | 134K t | 248K t | 367K t | 295K t |
 Mali | 2.22K t | 19.9K t | 40.6K t | 115K t | 101K t | 81K t | 61.8K t | 239K t |
 Benin | 1.4K t | 12.5K t | 6.1K t | 59.2K t | 152K t | 48K t | 235K t | 219K t |
 Burkina Faso | 800 t | 8.24K t | 23.3K t | 75.5K t | 108K t | 190K t | 241K t | 215K t |
| Mexico | 424K t | 334K t | 373K t | 201K t | 78.3K t | 157K t | 220K t | 190K t |
 Cameroon | 8.85K t | 28K t | 32K t | 46.5K t | 85K t | 68K t | 147K t | 179K t |
 Turkmenistan | – | – | – | – | 233K t | 424K t | 173K t | 178K t |
 Myanmar | 11.7K t | 11.5K t | 16.6K t | 20.5K t | 58.5K t | 202K t | 152K t | 153K t |
 Nigeria | 51K t | 91.4K t | 29.3K t | 95K t | 147K t | 211K t | 90K t | 99.2K t |
 Côte d’Ivoire | 1.68K t | 12.7K t | 59K t | 107K t | 177K t | 82.2K t | 213K t | 97K t |
 Tajikistan | – | – | – | – | 93K t | 95.2K t | 100K t | 96K t |
 Azerbaijan | – | – | – | – | 37.7K t | 17.2K t | 71.6K t | 80.5K t |
| Egypt | 336K t | 509K t | 529K t | 303K t | 224K t | 137K t | 59K t | 77.5K t |
 Ethiopia | – | – | – | – | 15K t | 18K t | 61K t | 63.3K t |
 Tanzania | 33.5K t | 77.6K t | 57.2K t | 49.2K t | 41.4K t | 88K t | 110K t | 54K t |
 Chad | 16.5K t | 35.4K t | 31.2K t | 60.2K t | 58K t | 21.8K t | 50.5K t | 49K t |
 Sudan | – | – | – | – | – | – | 120K t | 43.5K t |
 Uganda | 67.1K t | 86.4K t | 4.1K t | 5.9K t | 21.3K t | 25.8K t | 45K t | 41.9K t |
 Spain | 107K t | 54.7K t | 61.2K t | 80K t | 96.1K t | 38.5K t | 56.2K t | 40.5K t |
 Afghanistan | 17K t | 25.3K t | 21.7K t | 9.3K t | 18.5K t | 10.9K t | 24.4K t | 40.4K t |
| Syria | 121K t | 149K t | 117K t | 159K t | 345K t | 165K t | 34.1K t | 32.8K t |
 Iran | 116K t | 153K t | 57K t | 119K t | 160K t | 53.6K t | 28.3K t | 31.3K t |
 Zimbabwe | 451 t | 33.6K t | 53.6K t | 66.9K t | 128K t | 70.2K t | 47.1K t | 21.8K t |
 Bangladesh | 3.05K t | 1.2K t | 1.74K t | 15.7K t | 13.5K t | 14.5K t | 32K t | 21.1K t |
 Kyrgyzstan | – | – | – | – | 28.7K t | 24.4K t | 24K t | 20.9K t |
 Central African Republic | 10K t | 19.7K t | 9K t | 14K t | 10.1K t | 3.94K t | 8.93K t | 20K t |
 Togo | 2.6K t | 1.7K t | 7.2K t | 33.5K t | 48.9K t | 16K t | 28.7K t | 19.3K t |
 Zambia | – | 1.88K t | 5.4K t | 11K t | 20K t | 34.2K t | 9.8K t | 18.4K t |
 South Africa | 5.22K t | 15.2K t | 58.8K t | 52.3K t | 27.1K t | 7.69K t | 26.8K t | 16K t |
 Guinea | – | – | – | 2.07K t | 29.6K t | 13.2K t | 15.5K t | 16K t |
 Israel | 14.5K t | 35.3K t | 78.1K t | 51.4K t | 16K t | 7.1K t | 5.77K t | 14K t |
 Mozambique | 36.9K t | 45.6K t | 21K t | 8K t | 11.3K t | 19K t | 20.3K t | 12.5K t |
 North Korea | 3K t | 3K t | 3K t | 9K t | 11.7K t | 12K t | 12K t | 12K t |
 Colombia | 76.5K t | 128K t | 116K t | 119K t | 36.5K t | 35.7K t | 7.25K t | 11.9K t |
| Peru | 134K t | 91.9K t | 84.6K t | 78K t | 51.3K t | 24K t | 6.2K t | 11K t |
 Paraguay | 8.5K t | 11.6K t | 74.9K t | 218K t | 81.5K t | 4.97K t | 9.42K t | 9.42K t |
 Democratic Republic of the Congo | 21.3K t | 23.1K t | 10.4K t | 10.2K t | 8.33K t | 7.5K t | 8.41K t | 8.75K t |
 Ghana | – | 164 t | 2.5K t | 5.02K t | 14K t | 2.2K t | 6.1K t | 6K t |
 Madagascar | 800 t | 7.17K t | 8.87K t | 12.2K t | 11.2K t | 4.8K t | 4.87K t | 4.8K t |
 Senegal | 150 t | 4.2K t | 7.2K t | 14K t | 8.85K t | 10K t | 6K t | 4.5K t |
 Malawi | 3.26K t | 7.11K t | 6K t | 8.6K t | 9.7K t | 7.9K t | 14K t | 4K t |
 Bolivia | 990 t | 5.1K t | 6.8K t | 2.19K t | 14.5K t | 419 t | 2.93K t | 2.48K t |
 Nicaragua | 32.7K t | 68.5K t | 21.8K t | 22.5K t | 874 t | 1.29K t | 2.3K t | 2.3K t |
 Somalia | 1.01K t | 1.09K t | 1.15K t | 848 t | 1.7K t | 1.9K t | 2.01K t | 2.08K t |
 Niger | 790 t | 3.47K t | 1.16K t | 920 t | 4.5K t | 1.17K t | 1.95K t | 1.95K t |
 Tunisia | 218 t | 35 t | – | 301 t | 755 t | 2.18K t | 2.18K t | 1.91K t |
 Venezuela | 8.48K t | 13.5K t | 16.6K t | 30K t | 1.4K t | 3K t | 2.13K t | 1.74K t |
 Yemen | 5.31K t | 5.43K t | 3.4K t | 2.67K t | 9.41K t | 8.5K t | 1.3K t | 1.72K t |
 Thailand | 12.1K t | 8.44K t | 60.7K t | 30.5K t | 11.5K t | 1.17K t | 1.5K t | 1.51K t |
 Guinea-Bissau | – | – | 1K t | 1K t | 1.23K t | 1.5K t | 1.6K t | 1.46K t |
 Ecuador | 3.6K t | 2.8K t | 14.8K t | 13.1K t | 3.09K t | 1.35K t | 1.4K t | 1.38K t |
 Kenya | 2.85K t | 4.63K t | 12.6K t | 9K t | 6.6K t | 4K t | 2K t | 1.3K t |
 Angola | 4.34K t | 30.4K t | 1K t | 4K t | 4.36K t | 1K t | 1.1K t | 1.1K t |
 Honduras | 1.32K t | 3.21K t | 7.3K t | 1.55K t | 390 t | 760 t | 884 t | 891 t |
 Guatemala | 22K t | 64.6K t | 152K t | 41.5K t | 1K t | 1K t | 900 t | 592 t |
 Eswatini | 2.4K t | 2.3K t | 7.4K t | 12.6K t | 3.7K t | 590 t | 536 t | 505 t |
 Bulgaria | 7.15K t | 12K t | 3.92K t | 2.64K t | 1.98K t | 280 t | 819 t | 491 t |
 Laos | 1.5K t | 3K t | 4.9K t | 4.93K t | 4.6K t | 545 t | 760 t | 345 t |
 Burundi | 3.21K t | 3.25K t | 2.02K t | 2.19K t | 1.1K t | 731 t | 302 t | 315 t |
 Botswana | 1K t | 450 t | 950 t | 756 t | 900 t | 415 t | 265 t | 295 t |
 Haiti | 1.52K t | 578 t | 1.32K t | 759 t | 495 t | 330 t | 288 t | 284 t |
 Costa Rica | 1.21K t | 285 t | 4.1K t | 215 t | 120 t | 220 t | 248 t | 257 t |
 Albania | 5.2K t | 5K t | 5.4K t | 4K t | 292 t | 230 t | 207 t | 241 t |
 Gambia | – | 4 t | 489 t | 654 t | 75 t | 190 t | 180 t | 181 t |
 Cambodia | 9.17K t | 700 t | 100 t | 100 t | 87 t | 87 t | 79.8 t | 78.4 t |
 Morocco | 1.5K t | 6.02K t | 6K t | 9.6K t | 152 t | 69 t | 68.8 t | 66.7 t |
 Nepal | – | – | – | 420 t | 260 t | 38.2 t | 46.4 t | 45.4 t |
 Indonesia | 999 t | 1.03K t | 4.67K t | 3.85K t | 1.26K t | 1.05K t | 48.3 t | 40.7 t |
 Antigua & Barbuda | 127 t | 65 t | 16 t | 37 t | 24 t | 30 t | 30 t | 30 t |
 Algeria | 870 t | 220 t | 20 t | 21 t | 20 t | 21.7 t | 28 t | 28 t |
 Philippines | 133 t | 8 t | 4.57K t | 4.17K t | 371 t | 35 t | 40.9 t | 25 t |
 Grenada | 65 t | 23 t | 9 t | 10 t | 12 t | 8.99 t | 15.4 t | 15.8 t |
 Vietnam | 1.13K t | 500 t | 703 t | 1.03K t | 6.26K t | 4.16K t | 23.7 t | 6.92 t |
 St. Kitts & Nevis | 100 t | 9 t | 7 t | 10 t | 1 t | 1 t | 1 t | 1.51 t |
 Iraq | 7.88K t | 15.3K t | 5K t | 9.4K t | 11K t | 15.6K t | 8 t | 0.35 t |
 Cuba | 4.7K t | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
 Cyprus | 140 t | 68 t | 5 t | – | – | – | – | – |
 Dominican Republic | 2.29K t | 1.35K t | 1.8K t | 2.5K t | – | – | – | – |
 Italy | 5.31K t | 1.09K t | 490 t | 40 t | – | – | – | – |
 South Korea | 9.29K t | 4.45K t | 2.4K t | 180 t | – | – | – | – |
 Sri Lanka | 1K t | 489 t | 1.59K t | 1 t | – | – | – | – |
 Namibia | – | – | – | 46.9 t | 1.95K t | – | – | – |
 Romania | 33 t | – | 70 t | 170 t | – | – | – | – |
 Rwanda | 90.6 t | 82.2 t | – | – | – | – | – | – |
 El Salvador | 41.9K t | 46.1K t | 62.1K t | 4.97K t | 1.15K t | 60 t | 6.65 t | – |
 Uruguay | 163 t | 222 t | 24 t | 34 t | – | – | – | – |
 St. Vincent & Grenadines | 66 t | 33 t | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Countries with data | 82 | 83 | 82 | 85 | 86 | 85 | 86 | 85 |
Notes on reading this history
Yearly values come from the same statistics of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAOSTAT). The number of countries with data differs by year, so each year’s ranks are given only among the countries that have data that year. Countries that produce none (zero) are not ranked. Weather and harvests make the yearly values go up and down. The “latest value” on the ranking page uses each country’s latest year, so it does not always match the ranks for a single year.
Regions that later split into several countries, such as the former Soviet Union, have a value for each new country only from the year it split. So older years have fewer countries with data, and values from before a split cannot be compared country by country with today’s countries. See the “Countries with data” row in the table.
Source: FAO. 2025. FAOSTAT: Crops and livestock products. Accessed on 04 November 2026. https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QCL Licence: CC-BY-4.0. Processed by this site. fao.org/faostat
FAOSTAT data last updated: 2025-12-31
More indicators over time
- Latest ranking: Cotton (fibre) production
- GDP (total)
- GDP per capita
- Infant mortality rate
- Internet users (share of people)
- Access to electricity (share of people)
- CO₂ emissions per person
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- Urban population (share of people)
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- Air passengers carried
- Women in the labor force (share of women)
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- Measles vaccination (share of children)
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- Energy use per person
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