Plenty of sunshine, fertile soil, and vast harvesting areas support sunflower plants (Helianthus annuus) that yield seeds for industrial and culinary use.
Russia (31.6%), Ukraine (19.3%), and the European Union (15.6%) are the largest producers of sunflowerseeds in the 2025-26 marketing year (MY). Together, they account for 66.5% of global production due to favorable sunflowerseed harvesting conditions.
This article reviews sunflowerseed production by country, including each nation’s global output share, total harvested area, yield, and 10-year compound average growth according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
In MY 2025/2026, these are the 10 leading sunflowerseed producers:
Annual sunflowerseed production by country in MY 2025/26 (USDA)
| Country | Total Production (2025/26, Metric Tons) | Global Production Share (%) |
|---|---|---|
 Russia | 17.5 Million | 31.6% |
 Ukraine | 10.7 Million | 19.3% |
 European Union | 8.63 Million | 15.6% |
 Argentina | 7.61 Million | 13.8% |
 Kazakhstan | 2.46 Million | 4.5% |
 China | 2.2 Million | 4% |
 Turkey | 1.25 Million | 2.3% |
 United States | 1.06 Million | 1.9% |
 Moldova | 1.03 Million | 1.9% |
 South Africa | 875,000 | 1.6% |
1. Russia
Russia’s vast tracts of arable land, fertile soil, and temperate climate consistently make it the world's largest sunflowerseed producer. In MY 2025/26, Russia produced 17.5 million metric tons (MMT) of sunflowerseeds, which is 31.6% of global production. It harvested 10.5 million hectares of land, yielding 1.66 metric tons per hectare (MT/HA) annually. In 2024/25, Russia produced 16.9 MMT, which means production increased by 4% this year.
- 10-Year sunflowerseed production stats (MY 2016-2025):
- Average production: 14.58 million metric tons
- Compound average growth: 5%
- 10-Year sunflowerseed yield stats (MY 2016-25):
- Average yield: 1.66 metric tons per hectare
- Compound average growth: 1%
2. Ukraine
For years, Ukraine has been a leading producer of sunflowerseeds and contributed 19.3% to global output in 2025-26. The country produced 10.7 million metric tons of sunflowerseeds in 2025/26. Severe drought and prolonged high summer temperatures affected its sunflowerseed production. Ukraine harvested 5.5 million hectares, resulting in a yield of 1.94 metric tons per hectare. The previous year saw a significantly higher sunflowerseed output at 13 million metric tons, causing a year-over-year change of -18%.
- 10-Year sunflowerseed production stats (MY 2016-2025):
- Average production: 14.34 million metric tons
- Compound average growth: -3%
- 10-Year sunflowerseed yield stats (MY 2016-25):
- Average yield: 2.23 metric tons per hectare
- Compound average growth: -2%
3. European Union
With 8.63 million metric tons of sunflowerseed produced, the European Union is the third-largest producer in the world. This amount represented 15.6% of the world’s total sunflowerseeds production. The EU harvested 4.6 million hectares with an average annual yield of 1.86 MT/HA for the same marketing year. Despite this, annual crop production is declining, falling from 8.65 million metric tons in MY 2024-25 to 8.63 million metric tons this year, resulting in a year-over-year change of -0.19%.
- 10-Year sunflowerseed production stats (MY 2016-2025):
- Average production: 9.37 million metric tons
- Compound average growth: -0.03%
- 10-Year sunflowerseed yield stats (MY 2016-25):
- Average yield: 2.10 metric tons per hectare
- Compound average growth: -1%
4. Argentina
Argentina produced 7.61 million metric tons of sunflowerseeds, which is 13.8% of global production in MY 2025/2026. It yielded 2.38 MT/HA of sunflowerseeds from 3.2 million hectares of land. With 5.59 million metric tons of sunflowerseeds registered in MY 2024-25, Argentina reported a 36% year-over-year change.
- 10-Year sunflowerseed production stats (MY 2016-2025):
- Average production: 4.29 million metric tons
- Compound average growth: 8%
- 10-Year sunflowerseed yield stats (MY 2016-25):
- Average yield: 2.10 metric tons per hectare
- Compound average growth: 2%
5. Kazakhstan
USDA’s 2025/2026 report for Kazakhstan states that ‘favorable yields and decent profit margins have motivated farmers to plant more oilseeds.’ As a result, Kazakhstan became the 5th-largest sunflowerseed producer (2.46 MMT), accounting for 4.5% of the global total. With 1.8 million hectares harvested in MY 2025/26, Kazakhstan achieved a yield of 1.39 MT/HA. In the previous marketing year (2024/2025), the country recorded 1.83 million metric tons of sunflowerseeds, marking a year-over-year change of 34%.
- 10-Year sunflowerseed production stats (MY 2016-2025):
- Average production: 1.21 million metric tons
- Compound average growth: 13%
- 10-Year sunflowerseed yield stats (MY 2016-25):
- Average yield: 1.13 metric tons per hectare
- Compound average growth: 5%
6. China
In MY 2025/26, China produced 2.2 million metric tons of sunflowerseeds, providing 4% of the global total. Its 2024/25 production was 1.75 MMT, a 26% year-over-year change. This year, China harvested 730,000 hectares for sunflowerseed production, yielding 3.01 MT/HA.
- 10-Year sunflowerseed production stats (MY 2016-2025):
- Average production: 2.39 million metric tons
- Compound average growth: -4%
- 10-Year sunflowerseed yield stats (MY 2016-25):
- Average yield: 2.8 metric tons per hectare
- Compound average growth: 2%
7. Turkey
Turkey’s sunflower seed production in MY 2025/26 was 1.25 MMT, down from 1.35 MMT in 2024/25, a 7% decline. According to the USDA, its total area harvested was 750,000 hectares, while the annual crop yield was 1.66 metric tons per hectare.
- 10-Year sunflowerseed production stats (MY 2016-2025):
- Average production: 1.58 million metric tons
- Compound average growth: -0.54%
- 10-Year sunflowerseed yield stats (MY 2016-25):
- Average yield: 2.2 metric tons per hectare
- Compound average growth: -3%
8. United States
The United States recorded a 104% surge in sunflowerseed production in 2025/26, reaching 1.05 million metric tons from 518,000 metric tons in 2024/25. This increased its total global share to 1.9% in 2025/26. USDA estimated the total area harvested at 508,000 hectares and average annual yield at 2.08 MT/HA in the current marketing year.
- 10-Year sunflowerseed production stats (MY 2016-2025):
- Average production: 1.01 million metric tons
- Compound average growth: -1%
- 10-Year sunflowerseed yield stats (MY 2016-25):
- Average yield: 1.90 metric tons per hectare
- Compound average growth: 0.83%
9. Moldova
From 480,000 hectares harvested in 2025/26, Moldova produced 1.03 million metric tons of sunflowerseeds, making up 1.9% of the world’s total output. For the current marketing year, Moldova’s sunflowerseed yield was calculated at 2.14 MT/HA. In MY 2024/2025, its production was estimated at 740,000 metric tons, a 39% year-over-year change.
- 10-Year sunflowerseed production stats (MY 2016-2025):
- Average production: 848,500 metric tons
- Compound average growth: 3%
- 10-Year sunflowerseed yield stats (MY 2016-25):
- Average yield: 1.93 metric tons per hectare
- Compound average growth: 2%
10. South Africa
South Africa rounds out the list of 10 largest sunflowerseed producers, with an annual output of 875,000 metric tons in 2025/26 from 570,000 hectares, representing 1.6% of total global production. It surpassed the previous year's record of 709,000 metric tons, a 23% year-over-year increase. For the current marketing year, South Africa’s yield is 1.53 metric tons per hectare.
- 10-Year sunflowerseed production stats (MY 2016-2025):
- Average production: 766,300 million metric tons
- Compound average growth: 0.01%
- 10-Year sunflowerseed yield stats (MY 2016-25):
- Average yield: 1.36 metric tons per hectare
- Compound average growth: 1%
