Rice is the major staple food for billions of people, with nearly half of the world’s population from Asia, Africa and South America depending on it. Each year, more than 500 million tons of rice are cultivated around the globe, making it the second most important crop after corn.
Every day, a staggering 3.5 billion people obtain over 20% of their total calorie intake from rice. Did you know that for centuries Asia was the region where rice production prospered with over 90% of this crop being produced and consumed there? In fact, the top three nations in terms of rice production are still in this region. Let’s explore them in this article.
But first – why is rice important?
Rice plays a vital role in maintaining food security for millions of people who struggle and face poverty. Since it is the most popular crop in Asia, it is also the largest source of income for numerous small farmers, as well as a huge number of laborers who earn a living by working in rice fields, not just in Asia but in Latin America and Africa as well where rice is grown on millions of hectares.
For instance, rice cultivation provides a living for more than 15 million smallholder farmers in Vietnam’s Red River and Mekong deltas, and in sub-Saharan Africa, smallholder farmers account for over 60% of the population, and agriculture accounts for about 25% of the region’s GDP.
The rice growing industry is also an important driver in the technological progress of smaller communities across the planet. Technology plays an important role in rice production, and its adoption is crucial to increase output. The deployment of new technologies and methods of production such as Seed Film Cultivation (SFC) which improves the sustainability of rice production can help to tackle poverty.
As previously mentioned, millions of smallholder farmers, particularly in developing nations, make a living mostly from rice farming. By implementing better rice-producing methods, it would be possible to help them to increase output and tackle poverty and, as a result, help their nation to improve its economic situation.
Top 10 major rice-producing countries
Increasing purchasing power together with the continual increase in rice consumption have a positive impact on economic growth in emerging economies.
Moreover, globalization and freedom of trade as well as technological advancements and better management of nutrients, water usage, tillage, and soil have made it easier for rice producers to export their products overseas.
Furthermore, government assistance and subsidies paid to rice producers have had their effect, increasing output and ensuring a consistent supply.
But which countries are the major rice producers (milled rice and paddy) on a global scale?
What is milled rice?
After being cultivated and collected from rice paddies, rice goes through a process called milling to make it suitable for human consumption. During this process, the husk and bran layers of the rice are removed which leaves only the rice that is then packed and shipped and sold in local markets and grocery shops.
Top 10 milled rice-producing nations in 2022 (in million metric tons)
Source: Statista
China harvested more milled rice than any other nation in the 2021-2022 crop year, registering nearly 149 million metric tons (MMT). Second came India with 129 MMT, and third was Bangladesh with just below 36 MMT.
What is paddy rice?
Paddy rice, also called ‘rough rice’, is the individual rice kernels that have not undergone any processing. This rice is picked straight from rice fields (or paddies) and then delivered to a processing facility.
Global production of paddy rice in 2021 (in million metric tons)
Source: Statista
TOP 3 biggest rice producing countries in the world
China
For years, this nation has topped the list of major rice producers and consumers with an output of 149 MMT. In addition, China tops the list of the largest paddy rice producers with over 212 MMT produced in 2021 and slightly less the following year with 208.49 MMT of rice.
In 2022, Southern China faced the driest and warmest summer of the last six decades and a catastrophic drought brought about by the intense heatwave that affected about 2.2 million hectares of cropland. In response, the Chinese government has implemented a number of measures aiming to increase domestic grain production and guaranteeing food security, such as the development of agricultural technologies and the diversification of food sources. According to the US Department of Agriculture in the 2023/2024 marketing year, rice production in China increased and got back on track.
India
India has maintained its second position in terms of rice production, with about 130 MMT being registered in 2022. It is also worth noting that India is the world’s biggest rice exporter – in 2022 it exported 22 million tons worth US$9.66bn to 140 countries.
At the same time, as a result of Russia’s withdrawal from the Black Sea grain initiative that permitted Ukrainian grain to be exported by sea to third countries, India came up with the idea of prohibiting exports of non-basmati white rice. The Indian authorities imposed restrictions for internal reasons, and yet this step increased the price of food, had an impact on inflation, and has raised concerns about a scarcity of rice as the nation prepares for elections and the holiday season.
Bangladesh
Although this nation has a high rice production volume, it still faces a yearly deficit of about half a million tons. Bangladesh’s production of rice in 2024 is expected to rise by 1.8% compared to this year. In 2021 the country managed to cultivate over 35 MMT of rice and this figure is expected to hit almost 39 million by 2024.
According to Bangladesh’s officials, the country’s food supply has now stabilized after previously being affected by the conflict in Ukraine.
See also: Top 10 corn-producing countries worldwide
Final word
Rice is a vital crop for a huge number of people around the globe, particularly in developing nations, and its cultivation helps people to tackle poverty and boost economic growth. Following corn, milled rice is the second most important crop in the world, with a yearly worldwide output of over 500 million metric tons. Over the last few years China, India, and Bangladesh have remained the major producers of rice along with Indonesia and Vietnam for both paddy and milled rice. Although some of these countries encountered serious issues in rice production, mainly due to severe weather conditions, they still managed to remain at the top of the list.
