Gitnux/Report 2026

Palm Oil Industry Statistics

Global palm oil production reached 73.7 million metric tons in 2020/21 while the US imported 4.3 million metric tons in 2022, and the same page connects those volumes to today’s cost and compliance pressures from sustainable sourcing, EU RED II and EUDR rules, and carbon pricing. It also pins down the mechanics behind what you pay for and what you get from the mill, from typical extraction and fractionation yields to the trade reality of CIF benchmarks, derivatives liquidity, and how B20, B35, and biodiesel demand can reshape supply.
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Palm Oil Industry Statistics
Daniel VargaWritten by Daniel Varga·Edited by Isabelle Moreau·Fact-checked by Peter Sandoval
Last verified Jul 3, 2026
Verified via a 4-step process
01Source

Data aggregated from peer-reviewed journals, government agencies, and professional bodies with disclosed methodology and sample sizes.

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Within the next 27 days
Global palm oil production reached 73.7 million metric tons in 2020/21, but the market stayed tight with 4.6 million metric tons of global ending stocks in 2022/23. U.S. palm oil imports reached 4.3 million metric tons in 2022, while about 90% of palm oil goes to food and oleochemicals instead of biofuel. That supply and demand mix feeds policy-linked pressures tied to biodiesel and deforestation risk, which affect costs and compliance across the chain.

Key Takeaways

  • 73.7 million metric tons of palm oil were produced globally in 2020/21
  • 4.9 million metric tons of palm kernel oil were produced globally in 2022
  • 4.3 million metric tons of palm oil were imported into the US in 2022
  • Global palm oil ending stocks were 4.6 million metric tons in 2022/23
  • Palm oil prices averaged $930 per metric ton in 2022
  • Use of palm oil in biodiesel and renewable diesel is a significant share of total demand
  • Oil palms covered about 5.9 million hectares in Malaysia in 2022
  • Approximately 90% of palm oil is used for food and oleochemicals rather than biofuel
  • Palm oil fractionation can produce about 4–8% palm olein yield loss depending on process
  • Demand for sustainable palm oil can lead to supply chain cost premiums depending on certification and auditing
  • Carbon pricing can increase costs for deforestation-linked expansion; carbon-intensive areas may face higher compliance costs
  • Smallholder oil palm plantations often have payback periods of about 6–7 years after planting
  • The EU RED II includes sustainability criteria for biofuels, including palm oil under certain conditions
  • The EUDR includes commodities such as palm oil
  • Indonesia’s domestic biodiesel program targets B35 (35% blend) in 2023

In 2022, palm oil supply and sustainability rules shaped prices, imports, and biodiesel demand worldwide.

Related reading

01 · Category

Market Size3 stats

01
73.7 million metric tons of palm oil were produced globally in 2020/21
02
4.9 million metric tons of palm kernel oil were produced globally in 2022
03
4.3 million metric tons of palm oil were imported into the US in 2022
Interpretation

Market Size Interpretation

For the market size in palm oil, global production reached 73.7 million metric tons in 2020/21, and even with that scale the US still accounted for 4.3 million metric tons of palm oil imports in 2022, underscoring how large domestic demand remains relative to global flows.

03 · Category

Supply Chain4 stats

01
Oil palms covered about 5.9 million hectares in Malaysia in 2022
02
Approximately 90% of palm oil is used for food and oleochemicals rather than biofuel
03
Palm oil fractionation can produce about 4–8% palm olein yield loss depending on process
04
Typical oil extraction rate in modern mills is commonly reported around 20% of oil content in FFB
Interpretation

Supply Chain Interpretation

For the supply chain, Malaysia’s 5.9 million hectares of oil palms in 2022 feed an industry where most output is ultimately destined for food and oleochemicals, around 90%, meaning mill and fractionation efficiency, including a 4 to 8% palm olein yield loss, becomes crucial to keep usable volumes flowing to end markets.

More related reading

04 · Category

Economics And Costs8 stats

01
Demand for sustainable palm oil can lead to supply chain cost premiums depending on certification and auditing
02
Carbon pricing can increase costs for deforestation-linked expansion; carbon-intensive areas may face higher compliance costs
03
Smallholder oil palm plantations often have payback periods of about 6–7 years after planting
04
Fraud and laundering can reduce the reliability of traceability claims in palm oil supply chains
05
The CIF price for crude palm oil is commonly quoted in $/tonne on global benchmarks
06
Palm oil is one of the most-traded vegetable oils globally with major daily trading volume on derivatives exchanges
07
Fractionation adds value by splitting CPO into olein and stearin
08
B20 biodiesel blend policies require additional blending infrastructure and compliance testing costs
Interpretation

Economics And Costs Interpretation

Economics and costs in the palm oil industry are increasingly shaped by sustainability and climate rules, with smallholders typically recouping investments in 6 to 7 years after planting while carbon pricing can raise compliance costs for deforestation-linked expansion and certification and auditing adding supply chain cost premiums.

05 · Category

Regulation And Compliance5 stats

01
The EU RED II includes sustainability criteria for biofuels, including palm oil under certain conditions
02
The EUDR includes commodities such as palm oil
03
Indonesia’s domestic biodiesel program targets B35 (35% blend) in 2023
04
Indonesia’s Sustainable Palm Oil Program (ISPO) covers palm oil producers with mandatory compliance
05
Palm oil is covered by the EU import transparency scheme for deforestation risk (EUTR principles)
Interpretation

Regulation And Compliance Interpretation

For the regulation and compliance angle, the most important trend is that palm oil faces tightening oversight across major markets, with the EU moving from sustainability rules like RED II to broader EUDR coverage while Indonesia drives mandatory ISPO compliance and targets a B35 biodiesel blend in 2023.
report visual · Comparison

Palm Oil Supply, Stocks, and Prices (Key Snapshot)

Global production, ending stocks, and price levels highlight the current scale and market conditions of the palm oil sector.

Palm oil prices averaged $930 per metric ton in 2022$930
73.7 million metric tons of palm oil were produced globally in 2020/21
73.7
Global palm oil ending stocks were 4.6 million metric tons in 2022/23
4.6
source-verifiedfao.org · fas.usda.gov · worldbank.org2022
Reference

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APA
Daniel Varga. (2026, February 13). Palm Oil Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/palm-oil-industry-statistics
MLA
Daniel Varga. "Palm Oil Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/palm-oil-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Daniel Varga. 2026. "Palm Oil Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/palm-oil-industry-statistics.

Sources & references

23 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level

fao.orgcomtradeplus.un.orgfas.usda.govgbm.or.idworldbank.orgihsmarkit.comsciencedirect.comtandfonline.comipcc.chiea.orgeur-lex.europa.euesdm.go.idpertanian.go.idoecd.orgindexmundi.combursamalaysia.com

+7 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)