75% of the world’s cocoa is grown in West Africa.  The world’s largest cocoa producer is Ivory Coast and its neighbour Ghana is the second largest producer. Given this volume, Ivory Coast cocoa is an essential part of many chocolate products where as cocoa from Ghana is more prevalent in Europe and prized for its consistent quality.

Almost 90% of the world’s cocoa comes from small holdings owned by an individual or family and are typically 5 hectares or 12.25 acres in size. An estimated 14 million people are employed in the cocoa industry worldwide.  In Ghana alone, 3.2 million people work in cocoa, second only to the Ivory Coast.

Listed below are the world’s cocoa-growing nations by production:

Share of countries in total cocoa beans production, 2005/2006
Country Percentage of world production (Source: UNCTAD and ICCO)

Côte d’Ivoire: 38.00%
Ghana: 21.00%
Indonesia: 13.00%
Cameroon: 5.00%
Nigeria: 5.00%
Brazil: 4.00%
Ecuador: 3.00%
Malaysia: 1.00%
Other: 10.00%

Download the background information Basic Facts on Cocoa.