Bees not only provide honey but are also irreplaceable as pollinators of many plants in agriculture, fruit growing and horticulture. According to FAO estimates, there were 22.5 million bee colonies in Europe in 1990. By the turn of the millennium, their number had fallen. However, populations are recovering - in 2023 there were approximately 25.4 million bee colonies. Beekeeping and apiculture have also seen a significant global increase in recent decades. The FAO estimated the number of bee colonies worldwide to be around 102.1 million in 2023. Compared to 1990, this corresponded to an increase of 47%. Most bee colonies in 2023 were in Asia (45.4 million).
| 1990 | 2023 | 1990 to 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| in millions (rounded) | % | ||
| Europe | 22.5 | 25.4 | 13.1 |
| Western Europe | 3.5 | 3.5 | 1.1 |
| Northern Europe | 0.1 | 0.6 | 347.8 |
| Eastern Europe | 14.2 | 10.9 | -23.5 |
| Southern Europe | 4.6 | 10.3 | 124.8 |
| America | 9.6 | 11.6 | 19.9 |
| Northern America | 3.7 | 3.3 | -13.1 |
| Central America | 2.6 | 2.6 | -1.5 |
| Caribbean | 0.3 | 0.4 | 51.5 |
| South America | 3.0 | 5.3 | 76.3 |
| Africa | 13.4 | 18.4 | 37.5 |
| Northern Africa | 2.7 | 2.4 | -12.2 |
| Middle Africa | 2.6 | 3.3 | 27.7 |
| Eastern Africa | 8.0 | 12.2 | 53.9 |
| Western Africa | 0.1 | 0.4 | 372.0 |
| Southern Africa | 0.1 | 0.1 | 38.2 |
| Asia | 23.1 | 45.4 | 96.4 |
| Central Asia | 0.5 (1992) | 1.1 | 135.5 |
| Eastern Asia | 8.3 | 11.8 | 43.1 |
| Southern Asia | 11.0 | 20.4 | 85.3 |
| South-eastern Asia | 0.1 | 0.4 | 205.6 |
| Western Asia | 3.7 | 11.7 | 214.0 |
| Oceania | 0.7 | 1.2 | 68.5 |
| Australia and New Zealand | 0.7 | 1.2 | 67.5 |
| Melanesia | 0.0 | 0.0 | 516.2 |
| Polynesia | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5.3 |
| World total | 69.4 | 102.1 | 47.1 |
Source: FAO estimates (Crops and livestock products/Live animals)
Honey production
Around 1.9 million tonnes of honey were produced worldwide in 2023. The largest producer was China with an annual production of 472,200 tonnes. It was followed by Turkey (114,900 tonnes) and Ethiopia (84,600 tonnes) according to the FAO (Crops and livestock products/Livestock Primary).
Last update: 14-04-2025