Italian wine captured 23% of global exports in 2025

Italian wine accounted for 23% of global wine exports in 2025, up from 18.7% a decade earlier, according to an analysis by the Italian research firm Nomisma based on Trade Map data. The gain came as Italy strengthened its position in international food and beverage trade, even as global markets faced wars, geopolitical tension and trade disputes.

Nomisma said worldwide exports of food and beverage products, excluding agricultural commodities and tobacco derivatives, rose 76% over the past 10 years to more than $1.43 trillion. Italy ranked sixth among exporting countries with a 4.7% share, equal to just over $67 billion. The Netherlands and Germany led the ranking with more than $100 billion each in exported food products, followed by the United States at $90 billion, Brazil at $82 billion and France at $71 billion.

The figures point to wine as one of Italy’s main export drivers. In 2025, Italian wine held nearly a quarter of world exports by value in its category, widening its lead from 2015. For the broader beverage sector, that matters because it shows how strongly one national wine industry can shape global trade flows, pricing power and shelf space in key import markets. It also suggests that distributors, retailers and competing producers may face a market where Italian labels carry growing weight across restaurants, specialty stores and supermarket chains.

Wine was not the only category supporting Italy’s performance, but it stood out among the country’s best-known products. Pasta, another major export, slipped from 30.4% of global exports in 2015 to 27.6% in 2025, though it remained a leading category for Italy. Olive oil was stable at 21.2%, while dairy products rose from 9.3% to 13.5%.

Other categories posted smaller but notable gains over the same period. Baked goods increased from 6.4% to 8.2% of global exports, chocolate from 6.2% to 7.2%, preserved vegetables from 6% to 7%, and coffee from 4.6% to 5.2%. Together, those eight product groups represented 63% of Italy’s food and beverage exports, a sign that the country’s overseas sales are spread across several strong categories rather than concentrated in only one or two.

Italy’s overall export growth in food and beverages outpaced every country ahead of it in the global ranking, according to Nomisma. Denis Pantini, Nomisma’s head of agrifood research, said Italian export value increased 109% over the decade under review. He said that pace had strengthened in recent years despite what he described as an extremely complex market environment marked by wars, geopolitical strains and commercial conflicts.

Among major exporters, only Poland expanded faster over the same period, Nomisma said. Polish food exports rose 169%, climbing from $18 billion to nearly $49 billion in 10 years.

The data also show that Italy’s leadership is not free from pressure. In pasta, where Italy remains dominant, Nomisma said emerging competitors have gained ground quickly. South Korea increased its share of global pasta exports from less than 4% to 10% over the decade, while Turkey reached 5.2%. That trend offers a reminder for beverage producers as well: strong reputation and heritage can support export growth, but they do not prevent new rivals from moving into established categories.

Italy’s food and beverage exports reached €59.3 billion in 2025, up 5.1%, underscoring the importance of agrifood products to the national economy. Within that broader performance, wine remains one of the clearest symbols of Italy’s international reach and one of its most influential products in global beverage trade.