Sugar statistics for 2007/08

Sugar is an important global trading commodity. In countries with a moderate climate, especially Western, Central and Eastern Europe, as well as the United States, China and Japan, sugar is produced from sugar beets, whereas in tropical and subtropical areas it is extracted from sugar cane. The most important sugar producing countries are: India, Brazil, Thailand, China, Australia, Mexico, Cuba and the United States. In total, sugar is produced in 127 countries around the world. Seventy-nine countries produce sugar from sugar cane, thirty-eight only from sugar beets, and ten from both plants.

In 2007/08, the total amount of raw sugar produced globally is expected to reach 168.9 million tonnes. This would represent an increase of 1.2 percent over the prior year's total of 166.9 million tonnes. Global consumption also continued to increase, and at 154.6 million tonnes is 2.6 percent higher than the prior year's 150.7 million tonnes.