Which Country Produces The Most Watermelon In The World?

While many fruits and vegetables are cultivated just in specific areas or are particular only to certain cuisines, watermelon is not one of them. It should perhaps come as no surprise that this glorious melon, with its green rind and juicy flesh, is grown all over the world. While not quite the most cultivated fruit globally, it does come in at number three — behind tomatoes and bananas — with over 100 million metric tons harvested each year. But where is all of this watermelon grown?

Again, it may be no surprise to learn that the country that produces the most watermelon is also the country with the largest general agricultural production in the world: China. While it may not surprise you to learn that China grows the most watermelon, the statistics on exactly how much is grown there are baffling.

In 2022, China harvested over 60 million metric tons of watermelon. That is a lot of fruit. But to really understand the scale, you must look at the number two producer, Turkey. The Turkish watermelon harvest that same year came out to a total of 3.4 million metric tons. Not only did China grow the most watermelon, it grew nearly 18 times as much as the next closest producer. In fact, if you recall that the global production of watermelon is just over 100 million metric tons, that means China produces about 50% more watermelon than the rest of the world combined.