Top Areca Nut Producing Countries

Areca nut, commonly known as betel nut, is primarily cultivated in South and Southeast Asia, with India being the world’s largest producer, accounting for over half of global production. Other significant producers include Bangladesh, Myanmar, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka. The cultivation of areca nut has a long history, believed to have originated in the Philippines and the Malay Archipelago thousands of years ago, before spreading westward to India and eastward to the Pacific Islands through ancient trade routes and human migration. Over centuries, the nut became integral to social, cultural, and religious practices across Asia, especially in India, where it is chewed with betel leaf in a tradition dating back to at least 100 BCE. Today, areca nut farming remains a vital agricultural activity, supporting millions of smallholder farmers in tropical regions.

Data from United Nations FAO Stat