Top 10 Largest Olive Groves in the World in 2025: Global Olive Cultivation Powerhouses
Olives — and the olive oil derived from them — are synonymous with Mediterranean culture, health, and agriculture. In 2025, olive cultivation remains one of the globe’s most significant agricultural sectors, with major groves spanning continents and climates. Today’s ranking brings together the world’s 10 largest olive groves, based on total cultivated area, modern plantation size, and global agricultural leadership.
This comprehensive ranking blends official data, industry estimates, and verified records to bring you the most authoritative overview of olive groves in 2025.
🥇 1. Spain — The Supreme Olive Grove Giant (≈2.8+ million hectares)
Spain dominates the olive world like no other nation. As of recent agricultural estimations, Spain’s olive groves cover roughly 2.8 million hectares, making it the largest concentration of cultivated olive land globally in 2025. (xNova International)
🌿 Why Spain Leads
Spain’s climate, centuries-old farming heritage, and strong cultivation infrastructure have created a landscape where olives thrive across vast regions — especially Andalusia and Castilla-La Mancha. This dominance yields:
The highest number of olive trees by country
Massive olive oil and table olive production
Internationally recognized oil brands and PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) groves
Spain’s olive groves are not just agricultural sites — they are global ambassadors of Mediterranean farming culture.
🥈 2. Tunisia — North Africa’s Olive Powerhouse (≈1.9 million hectares)
Tunisia is the second largest olive cultivation landscape in the world, with estimates around 1.9 million hectares. (The World Ranking)
🌍 The Roots of Tunisian Olive Culture
Olive trees are deeply embedded in Tunisian identity — from rural villages to major export markets. Tunisia has expanded both traditional groves and modern olive production systems, making it a major agricultural exporter.
In addition to acreage, Tunisia is notable for its organic olive cultivation, unique varietals, and deeply traditional farming systems that have been passed down for generations.
🥉 3. Morocco — Massive Mediterranean Olive Presence (≈1.2 million hectares)
Morocco secures the third spot, hosting roughly 1.2 million hectares of olive groves. (The World Ranking)
📈 Growth and Global Recognition
While historically overshadowed by larger producers like Spain and Tunisia, Morocco’s olive sector has grown dramatically. Significant investments in agricultural technology and expanded groves — especially in fertile regions like Meknès, Fès, and Marrakech — have pushed Moroccan cultivation forward.
Morocco’s olive production plays a key role in:
North African agricultural exports
Domestic economic development
Olive oil tourism initiatives
🏅 4. Italy — Heritage Meets Scale (≈1.0+ million hectares)
Italy remains one of the world’s largest olive groves by landscape area. With over 1 million hectares of olive cultivation, Italy’s groves stretch from Tuscany to Puglia and beyond. (The World Ranking)
🍷 Italian Olive Identity
Italy is known not just for the size of its olive groves but for the quality and prestige of its olive oil. It leads many markets in PDO certification and artisanal production. Italian groves are often:
Ancient centuries-old olive orchards
Integrated with wine, cheese, and other regional productions
Central to Mediterranean culinary heritage
🌍 5. Turkey — Bridging Continents with Olive Cultivation (≈900,000+ hectares)
Turkey maintains a massive olive cultivation footprint, with around 900,000 hectares devoted to olives. (The World Ranking)
🌿 Diverse Landscapes, Strong Output
Turkey’s groves cover prime Mediterranean and Aegean terrain. The country’s rich agricultural infrastructure supports both olive production and growing export markets, particularly in Central Asia and the Middle East.
🌿 6. Greece — Olive Groves of Myth and Market (≈840,000 hectares)
Greece holds strong as one of the world’s largest olive grove regions, with roughly 840,000 hectares under cultivation. (The World Ranking)
🧿 A Legacy Rooted in Tradition
Greek olives play a pivotal role in:
Premium olive oil production (especially extra virgin)
Local culture and festivals
Olive tree tourism in regions like Crete, Peloponnese, and Lesbos
Greece also boasts some of the oldest continuous olive cultivation traditions in the Mediterranean.
🌾 7. Syria — Resilient Olive Landscapes (≈670,000 hectares)
Despite regional challenges, Syria maintains a large olive grove footprint around 670,000 hectares. (The World Ranking)
💪 Remarkable Continuity
Syrian olive groves are among the oldest in the world — and Syrian farmers continue to preserve cultivation through generations of hardship. This long legacy contributes to an olive identity that’s both economical and cultural.
🍈 8. Algeria — North African Olive Expansion (≈480,000 hectares)
Algeria’s olive cultivation area is around 482,000 hectares — placing it among the world’s largest olive groves. (The World Ranking)
🌍 Growing Regional Significance
Although Algeria is often better known for dates and grains, olive production plays a growing role in rural economies. The North African nation is expanding both traditional and modern olive groves, linking local farmers to international markets.
🌳 9. Portugal — Iberian Olive Stronghold (≈380,000 hectares)
Portugal rounds out the global top 10 with around 380,000 hectares of olive groves. (The World Ranking)
🍷 Quality Meets Expansion
Portuguese olive groves, particularly in Alentejo and Trás-os-Montes, are gaining recognition for high-quality olive oil. While smaller in scale compared to Spain or Italy, Portugal’s olive sector focuses strongly on premium, artisanal production.
🍇 10. Libya — North African Olive Territory (≈215,000 hectares)
Libya secures the 10th spot with over 215,000 hectares of olive cultivation. (The World Ranking)
🏜️ Cultivation Across Tough Terrain
Libyan olive cultivation illustrates how olives flourish even in challenging climates, with farms and groves extending across plains and mountainous regions.
🧠 Understanding World Olive Grove Rankings
The standings above integrate two key methodologies:
Hectares Under Cultivation: Total land dedicated to olive trees per country — a strong proxy for largest groves worldwide. (The World Ranking)
Record-Verified Plantation Size: Some individual groves in specific countries (like Saudi Arabia’s modern plantation) set world records for plantation scale. (Guinness World Records)
While exact real-time data for every individual grove can vary year-to-year, this list reflects the best available global estimates for 2025.
🌍 Bonus: Modern Olive Plantation Records in 2025
🏆 Largest Single Modern Olive Farm — Saudi Arabia
The current Guinness World Record for the largest modern olive farm — 7,713 hectares — is held by the Aljouf Agriculture Development Company in northern Saudi Arabia. (Guinness World Records)
🌱 Largest Organic Olive Farm — Also Saudi Arabia
The largest certified organic olive plantation covers 6,453 hectares in Saudi Arabia. (Guinness World Records)
These standout individual groves illustrate how modern agriculture can scale olive cultivation far beyond traditional Mediterranean landscapes.
🧩 Frequently Asked Questions
What qualifies as the “largest” olive grove?
In global crop terms, “largest” refers to total planted area, which can be a whole country or an individual farm depending on context.
Are olive groves the same as olive oil production?
Not exactly — large grove size doesn’t always equal top production volume, but there’s strong correlation.
Which country produces the most olive oil today?
Spain leads global olive oil production, contributing a substantial share of world output. (xNova International)
🌟 Conclusion
From Spain’s sprawling Mediterranean olive landscapes to Saudi Arabia’s record-setting modern plantations, the world of olive cultivation in 2025 is rich, diverse, and full of agricultural marvels. These top 10 largest olive groves illustrate centuries of tradition, modern innovation, and the ongoing global importance of one of the world’s oldest cultivated trees.
Whether you’re a food culture enthusiast, agricultural professional, or global traveler, understanding these olive giants gives insight into how olives connect land, people, and heritage around the globe.
