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How cultural differences influence olive oil consumption
How many liters of olive oil does a Spaniard consume per year? What formats are most popular in each country? Why is the price of olive oil related to this aspect? We answer all these questions to get a global perspective of extra virgin olive oil consumption, according to our own experience and to information from industry magazines.
Liters consumed and different uses of olive oil
There are about 200 olive oil consuming countries in the world. The countries where olive oil is most consumed are those that are also producers. Spain ranks third in per capita olive oil consumption, with an average of 11.7 kg of oil per year, behind Greece and San Marino, according to Olimerca.
The United States is already the largest global consumer of olive oil, ranking tenth in terms of production, 99% of which is concentrated in California. Olive oil is the most consumed oil and extra virgin is in second position, but per capita consumption is one liter per year, the world average being 450 mL.
Here we can see a big difference between Spain, first world producer, with an extension of olive grove that does not fit in the Valencian Community, according to Oils from Spain. For a country like us, which consumes extra virgin olive oil in almost all our preparations, large formats, such as olive oil in 5 liters is the most demanded and profitable product. We will talk about this aspect later on.
As we were saying, in Spain, almost all dishes, not counting confectionery, contain olive oil. Oil, garlic and onion are the three basic elements of our diet, common to the Mediterranean diet. Spain, in particular, is a country that tends to eat more salty than sweet breakfasts, on toast, sandwiches, etc. We do not share this aspect with other oil-producing countries such as Italy or France.
Even culturally we have a peculiarity, and it is the “double breakfast” or “mid-morning”, which would be between 10 and 11 in the morning, when in other countries they bet directly for an early lunch. This “stop” influences our schedules at work and school. In addition to these two meals, we have two others, considered the most important of the day: lunch and dinner. When in other countries, like Ireland, their lunch is like our “mid-morning” and their only strong meal, the one that could carry the olive oil, is dinner. We can say that with this brief explanation we are already “tripling” the consumption of olive oil with respect to the customs of an Anglo-Saxon country.
Olive oil price
The amount of liters of olive oil consumed is the main difference between a country like the United Kingdom and Spain, also in terms of price. These countries consume in a year what Spain consumes in a month, so the rotation here is very high, as explained in this news, from 2023, when prices soared. What is the positive side (for us) of this fact? The speed with which prices are updated, with a view to price stabilization. In other words, if this year the price of olive oil were to stabilize according to our indicator, Poolred, we would be the first to benefit, but it would take months for this update to reach the consignments purchased in other countries. Having exported the oil at a time of high prices and low product turnover, consumers would later enjoy improved prices.
Most popular olive oil formats
In countries with lower consumption, people are less demanding on price and more demanding on quality. Olive oil awakens more and more passions worldwide and is considered a gourmet product, which is especially enjoyed raw to better appreciate the aromas and flavor. In this sense, it is difficult to find in any supermarket in a country that does not produce olive oil, 5-liter olive oil formats. The most common is to find olive oil in 500 mL or 1 liter. If we have mentioned before that the world average is 450 mL, we will understand that 1 liter is too much in many countries. In Spain we are used to olive oil in 5 liters, either in cans or in carafes, and also to the box of three 5-liter carafes. In fact, it is very common for us that a customer comes to our store, or calls us and asks for “a box of olive oil” referring to the box of three carafes. So even the sale of the pack of three olive oil carafes (15 liters) has become standard among us.
Who buys the large formats of olive oil from us outside our borders?
Mainly Mediterranean population residing in Nordic countries, Central Europe or North America. Even our 3-liter Bag in Box of iOliva, which is our most premium olive oil, is considered a large format of olive oil in many countries. iOliva is an EVOO of early harvest and extraction at very low temperature (22 degrees), besides being a family reserve. The bag in box is the format of the future, convenient, safe and a great protector of the product. We incorporate it to our catalog for those passionate about the earliest and premium olive oil at a better price than in small glass format.
