The result of this year’s global wine harvest has made headlines in the international press, marking the smallest harvest in over sixty years. The question that arises is whether this is solely due to the climate. [read the full champagne story]
Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
As a statistics enthusiast, I find it intriguing, but I am also aware of its deceptive nature. What do we really know about reduced harvest yields, for example? According to OIV (Office International de la Vigne et du Vin) in Paris, the facts show a decrease of seven percent.
In total, the grape harvest in 2023 yielded approximately 244 million hectoliters of wine, equivalent to 32 billion bottles. This is the lowest volume since 1961. OIV points to extreme climate problems as one cause of the decline, but they also mention decreased wine consumption.
Even in the southern hemisphere, where the harvest was conducted in March, volumes decreased by nineteen percent compared to 2022, marking the lowest figure since 2003.
The EU accounts for sixty percent of the world’s wine production, approximately 146 million hectoliters, and retains its market share. An interesting observation is that France has now become the world’s largest wine producer, surpassing Italy this year.
Here are the numbers country by country
EUROPE
- France 45.8 million hl
- Italy 43.9 million hl
- Spain 30.7 million hl
- Germany 9.0 million hl
- Portugal 7.4 million hl
- Romania 4.4 million hl
- Hungary 2.5 million hl
- Austria 2.4 million hl
- Greece 1.1 million hl
- Switzerland 1.0 million hl
- Bulgaria 0.9 million hll
- Slovenia 0.5 million hl
- Czech Republic 0.5 million hl
- Croatia 0.4 million hl
- Slovakia 0.3 million hl
- Georgia 1.5 million hl
- Moldova 1.3 million hl
- Russia 4.9 million hl
AMERICA
- USA 25.2 million hl
- Chile 10 million hl
- Argentina 8.8 million hl
- Brazil 2.3 million hl
- Uruguay 0.5 million hl
AFRICA
South Africa 9.3 million hl
OCEANIA
- Australia 9.9 million hl
- New Zealand 3.6 million hl
(China’s official figures are missing)
