Rice trade is measured through a mix of market-year estimates, revisions and observed destination shipments. USDA data puts 2025 world rice exports at 62,145 thousand metric tons, while country estimates show how supply and demand are distributed across Asia, the Middle East, Africa and other markets.
Key Rice Trade Statistics
These figures summarize the main scale, participation and revision patterns in the available rice trade data:
- In 2025, world rice exports were estimated at 62,145 thousand metric tons for the global market.
- In 2025, India was estimated to export 25,000 thousand metric tons of rice.
- In 2025, India represented 40% of estimated world rice exports.
- In 2025, Vietnam was estimated to export 7,900 thousand metric tons of rice, equal to 13% of world exports.
- In 2025, Thailand was estimated to export 7,200 thousand metric tons of rice, equal to 12% of world exports.
- In 2025, Pakistan was estimated to export 5,200 thousand metric tons of rice, equal to 8% of world exports.
- In 2025, Cambodia was estimated to export 4,100 thousand metric tons of rice, equal to 7% of world exports.
- In 2025, the United States was estimated to export 2,985 thousand metric tons of rice, equal to 5% of world exports.
- For 2025, the Philippines’ rice-import estimate rose from 5,100 to 5,400 thousand metric tons between USDA estimates.
- For 2024, Vietnam’s rice-import estimate rose from 1,600 to 2,300 thousand metric tons in a USDA revision.
- For 2024, China’s rice-import estimate fell from 2,300 to 1,900 thousand metric tons between USDA estimates.
- For 2025, Thailand’s rice-export estimate rose from 7,500 to 7,700 thousand metric tons in a USDA revision.
- For 2024, Thailand’s rice-export estimate rose from 9,300 to 10,000 thousand metric tons in a USDA revision.
- In 2023, Pakistan supplied more than 120,000 tons of rice to Haiti, about one-quarter of Haiti’s rice imports.
- For 2025, Nigeria’s rice-import estimate rose from 2,200 to 2,400 thousand metric tons in a USDA revision.
- For 2024, Burkina Faso’s rice-import estimate rose from 525 to 900 thousand metric tons using trade-to-date information.
- For 2025, Tanzania’s rice-export estimate rose from 10 to 125 thousand metric tons in a USDA revision.
- For 2025, Indonesia’s rice-import estimate fell from 1,500 to 1,000 thousand metric tons between USDA estimates.
Contents
- Global rice trade scale and leading exporters
- Rice import statistics across Asia and the Middle East
- Rice export trends by major supplier
- African rice trade statistics and emerging markets
- Rice trade destinations and market signals
- Rice trade forecasts, revisions and market-year definitions
Global Rice Trade Scale and Leading Exporters
The USDA Rice Explorer reports a 2025 world export estimate of 62,145 thousand metric tons. This is a market-year estimate, not a customs-valued calendar-year total, so it should be read as a measure of projected or estimated traded volume for the USDA reporting period.
The leading suppliers were concentrated in Asia, with India far ahead of the next exporters. The USDA Rice Explorer’s shares are rounded and should not be recomputed from the displayed country quantities.
| Exporter | 2025 estimated exports | Share of world exports |
|---|---|---|
| India | 25,000 thousand metric tons | 40% |
| Vietnam | 7,900 thousand metric tons | 13% |
| Thailand | 7,200 thousand metric tons | 12% |
| Pakistan | 5,200 thousand metric tons | 8% |
| Cambodia | 4,100 thousand metric tons | 7% |
| United States | 2,985 thousand metric tons | 5% |
Source: USDA Rice Explorer. Shares are rounded USDA displays, and all figures are market-year estimates.
Rice Import Statistics Across Asia and the Middle East
Import estimates can change substantially as USDA incorporates new trade information. A revision is a change from an earlier estimate, not necessarily a shipment measured during the report month.
| Market | Period | Earlier estimate | Revised estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philippines | 2025 | 5,100 | 5,400 thousand metric tons |
| Vietnam | 2025 | 3,100 | 3,400 thousand metric tons |
| Indonesia | 2024 | 3,800 | 4,100 thousand metric tons |
| China | 2024 | 2,300 | 1,900 thousand metric tons |
| Brazil | 2024 | 900 | 1,050 thousand metric tons |
| Vietnam | 2024 | 1,600 | 2,300 thousand metric tons |
| Bangladesh | 2025 | 1,200 | 900 thousand metric tons |
| Indonesia | 2025 | 1,500 | 1,000 thousand metric tons |
| European Union | 2024 | 2,200 | 2,300 thousand metric tons |
The December 2024 USDA report revised 2025 Philippines imports from 5,100 to 5,400 thousand metric tons and 2025 Vietnam imports from 3,100 to 3,400 thousand metric tons. It also revised 2024 Indonesia imports from 3,800 to 4,100 thousand metric tons.
The April 2024 report revised 2024 China imports down to 1,900 thousand metric tons, Brazil imports up to 1,050 thousand metric tons, and Vietnam imports up to 2,300 thousand metric tons; USDA cited Cambodian paddy and Indian brown-rice purchases in Vietnam’s revision. The January 2025 report revised Bangladesh’s 2025 imports down to 900 thousand metric tons and Indonesia’s down to 1,000 thousand metric tons, while the European Union’s 2024 estimate rose to 2,300 thousand metric tons.
Sources: USDA Grains: World Markets and Trade, December 2024, USDA Grains: World Markets and Trade, April 2024, and USDA Grains: World Markets and Trade, January 2025. Values are revisions between USDA estimates.
Rice Export Trends by Major Supplier
Revisions also changed the export outlook for major suppliers. The December 2024 USDA report raised Thailand’s 2025 estimate to 7,700 thousand metric tons, Vietnam’s to 7,800 thousand, and Cambodia’s to 3,400 thousand; Brazil rose to 1,300 thousand, while Burma’s estimate fell to 1,500 thousand metric tons.
| Exporter | Period | Earlier estimate | Revised estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thailand | 2025 | 7,500 | 7,700 thousand metric tons |
| Vietnam | 2025 | 7,350 | 7,800 thousand metric tons |
| Cambodia | 2025 | 2,900 | 3,400 thousand metric tons |
| Brazil | 2025 | 1,100 | 1,300 thousand metric tons |
| Burma/Myanmar | 2025 | 1,700 | 1,500 thousand metric tons |
| India | 2024 | 17,500 | 17,300 thousand metric tons |
| Pakistan | 2024 | 5,800 | 6,000 thousand metric tons |
| Thailand | 2024 | 9,300 | 10,000 thousand metric tons |
| Vietnam | 2024 | 8,900 | 9,000 thousand metric tons |
The April 2024 USDA report also revised 2024 United States exports from 2,825 to 2,925 thousand metric tons, Burma exports from 1,800 to 2,000 thousand, Cambodia exports from 2,150 to 2,350 thousand, and China exports from 2,200 to 1,900 thousand metric tons. The reports use the country label Burma; that label is retained here while identifying the geography as Burma/Myanmar.
Sources: USDA December 2024 and USDA April 2024. These are estimate revisions, not independent customs totals.
African Rice Trade Statistics and Emerging Markets
African markets show both substantial import requirements and sharp estimate changes. For 2025, USDA revised Nigeria’s imports from 2,200 to 2,400 thousand metric tons, Guinea’s from 900 to 1,050 thousand, Kenya’s from 800 to 900 thousand, Côte d’Ivoire’s from 1,500 to 1,600 thousand, Madagascar’s from 350 to 500 thousand, Mozambique’s from 800 to 900 thousand, and Angola’s from 450 to 550 thousand metric tons.
| Market | Period | Earlier estimate | Revised estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nigeria | 2024 | 2,100 | 2,200 thousand metric tons |
| Nigeria | 2025 | 2,200 | 2,400 thousand metric tons |
| Guinea | 2024 | 950 | 1,050 thousand metric tons |
| Guinea | 2025 | 900 | 1,050 thousand metric tons |
| Somalia | 2024 | 450 | 550 thousand metric tons |
| Iraq | 2024 | 2,300 | 2,150 thousand metric tons |
| Burkina Faso | 2024 | 525 | 900 thousand metric tons |
| Kenya | 2025 | 800 | 900 thousand metric tons |
The April 2024 USDA report revised Somalia’s 2024 imports from 450 to 550 thousand metric tons and Burkina Faso’s from 525 to 900 thousand metric tons. The Burkina Faso revision reflects trade-to-date information and is not a final customs total.
The October 2024 USDA projection revised 2025 Côte d’Ivoire imports to 1,600 thousand metric tons, Madagascar to 500 thousand, Mozambique to 900 thousand, and Angola to 550 thousand. These were USDA October 2024 projections, so their period and estimate status should remain explicit.
Sources: USDA January 2025, USDA April 2024, and USDA October 2024.
Rice Trade Destinations and Market Signals
Destination data adds detail that country totals alone cannot show. A USDA market feature, drawing on Trade Data Monitor and the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, reported that Pakistan exported more than 120,000 tons of rice to Haiti in 2023, approximately one-quarter of Haiti’s rice imports that year.
The same feature’s comparison table reported 30,573 tons shipped from Pakistan to Saudi Arabia in its stated comparison year. In the later comparison column, it reported 47,178 tons to Djibouti, 29,191 tons to Côte d’Ivoire and 28,141 tons to Cameroon.
The source presents comparison columns rather than a single uniform period for every destination figure. The labels from that table should therefore be preserved when using these observations, rather than treating the values as one calendar-year series.
The December 2024 USDA report recorded Pakistan’s 2024 rice exports at 6,000 thousand metric tons after a 200-thousand-ton upward revision, attributing the revision to competitive prices. This is an estimate and a stated explanatory factor, not a measure of a single transaction price.
Source: USDA April 2024 for the Pakistan market feature and USDA December 2024 for the 2024 export estimate.
Rice Trade Forecasts, Revisions and Market-Year Definitions
The January 2025 USDA revision put Thailand’s 2025 rice exports at 7,500 thousand metric tons, 200 thousand below its prior estimate, and Vietnam’s at 7,500 thousand, 300 thousand below its prior estimate. Tanzania moved in the opposite direction, reaching 125 thousand metric tons, 115 thousand above its prior estimate.
For imports, the same January 2025 revision put Bangladesh’s 2024 imports at 200 thousand metric tons, 100 thousand below its prior estimate; Vietnam’s at 3,800 thousand, 400 thousand above; and Nigeria’s at 2,400 thousand, 200 thousand above. The December 2024 revision put Indonesia’s 2024 imports at 4,100 thousand metric tons, Philippines imports at 5,300 thousand, and Vietnam imports at 3,400 thousand, each 300, 300 and 200 thousand above its prior estimate respectively.
These changes illustrate why rice trade statistics need a period label and measurement type. USDA FAS figures are generally reported in thousand metric tons and often use marketing-year estimates, while revisions show how the estimate changed from an earlier publication rather than documenting a new shipment total.
The UN Comtrade HS 1006 Rice query defines a classification and trade-flow framework for annual exports across 2014–2024, but the rendered page did not expose a stable numeric value table for this article. No Comtrade numeric observation is therefore included here.
Sources: USDA January 2025, USDA December 2024, and UN Comtrade TradeFlow query: HS 1006 Rice.