Top 10 Cocoa Producing Countries — and What Each Pays Its Farmers
Most rankings of cocoa producing countries recycle years-old harvest statistics and stop at tonnage. This one adds the column that actually differentiates producers: what each country currently pays its farmers, pulled live from official announcements and exchange prices — because two countries with similar harvests can treat their growers very differently.
Current Cocoa Price in Côte d'Ivoire
As of March 4, 2026, the farmgate price of cocoa in Côte d'Ivoire is 1,200 CFA / kg, per Conseil du Café-Cacao.
Top 10 cocoa producing countries
Ranked by typical recent-season production. Shares are approximate; harvests vary meaningfully year to year. Farmgate/market prices for African producers appear in the live table above.
| # | Country | Share of world output | Pricing system |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Côte d'Ivoire | ~40% of world output | World leader; guaranteed farmgate price set per campaign by the Conseil du Café-Cacao. |
| 2 | Ghana | ~10–14% | Cocobod fixes the producer price; recent harvests cut by swollen shoot disease and ageing trees. |
| 3 | Ecuador | ~10–12% | The fastest riser — fine-flavour and CCN-51 output now rivals Ghana in some seasons. |
| 4 | Cameroon | ~5–6% | Liberalized market; national office publishes daily export reference prices. |
| 5 | Nigeria | ~5–6% | Fully deregulated since 1986; exchange-traded market price, tracked daily on this site. |
| 6 | Brazil | ~4% | Recovering from crop disease that ended its historic dominance; strong domestic grind demand. |
| 7 | Indonesia | ~3–4% | In long-term decline from a former top-3 position as farmers switch crops. |
| 8 | Peru | ~2–3% | Growing fine-flavour producer in the Andean belt. |
| 9 | Dominican Republic | ~1–2% | Leading organic-cocoa exporter. |
| 10 | Colombia | ~1–2% | Expanding production with government support programmes. |
The shape of world cocoa production
Cocoa production is extraordinarily concentrated: West Africa alone grows around 70% of the world's beans, with Côte d'Ivoire the clear leader at roughly two-fifths of global output and Ghana second. The most important recent shift is Ecuador's rise — its fine-flavour and CCN-51 plantations have pushed it firmly into the top three, challenging Ghana's long-held second place in some seasons, while Indonesia's once-large crop has declined for a decade.
Disease and weather have battered the West African heartland in recent seasons — swollen shoot virus and black pod in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire cut harvests and drove the world price to records before supply began recovering. Production ranks shift slowly; the prices paid to farmers, shown live above for the African producers, shift much faster.
Cocoa Price FAQ
What is the cocoa price in Côte d'Ivoire today?
As of March 4, 2026, the farmgate price of cocoa in Côte d'Ivoire is 1,200 CFA / kg, per Conseil du Café-Cacao. Every figure on this page carries its source, cadence and as-of date.
Which country produces the most cocoa in the world?
Côte d'Ivoire, by a wide margin — roughly 40% of global production. Together with Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon, West Africa accounts for about 70% of the world's cocoa.
Is Ecuador now a bigger producer than Ghana?
Ecuador has grown rapidly and in some recent seasons has challenged or matched Ghana's harvest, while Ghana's output has been hit by disease and ageing trees. The two now compete for second place — a major shift from a decade ago.