Mediterranean countries are known for two things: lots of olive oil and long lives. So is it the oil? We compared the latest International Olive Council (IOC) figures on olive oil consumption per person with World Bank life expectancy data and ranked the countries worldwide. The result is more interesting than a simple yes.
The countries that consume the most olive oil
According to the IOC's olive sector statistics of March 2025 (crop year 2022/23), Greece leads with 9.3 kilos per person. Within the EU it is followed by Spain (7.5 kg), Italy (7.4 kg), Cyprus (3.8 kg) and Portugal (3.7 kg). Among other IOC members, Albania (8.7 kg), Morocco (4.0 kg), Lebanon (3.8 kg) and Israel (3.2 kg) lead. Large import markets such as the USA (1.1 kg), Canada (1.2 kg), Japan and Brazil (0.4 kg each) consume far less. In Switzerland, consumption was around 1.7 kilos (about 1.85 litres) in 2016, according to the Federal Statistical Office and the Swiss Farmers' Union.
Consumption and life expectancy compared
Life expectancy at birth comes from World Bank data for 2023, the most recent complete year. The rank refers to 217 countries and territories with data.
| Country | Olive oil per person (kg, 2022/23) | Life expectancy 2023 (years) | Rank (of 217) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greece | 9.3 | 81.7 | 36 |
| Albania | 8.7 | 79.6 | 54 |
| Spain | 7.5 | 83.9 | 9 |
| Italy | 7.4 | 83.4 | 13 |
| Morocco | 4.0 | 75.3 | 103 |
| Cyprus | 3.8 | 81.6 | 38 |
| Lebanon | 3.8 | 77.8 | 70 |
| Portugal | 3.7 | 82.3 | 29 |
| Israel | 3.2 | 83.2 | 16 |
| Syria | 2.6 | 72.1 | 135 |
| Canada | 1.2 | 81.6 | 39 |
| USA | 1.1 | 78.4 | 61 |
| Japan | 0.4 | 84.0 | 7 |
| Brazil | 0.4 | 75.8 | 97 |
| Switzerland (for comparison) | approx. 1.7 (2016) | 84.2 | 5 |
We did not include Palestine (3.3 kg) because its 2023 life expectancy was heavily affected by war and would distort the comparison.
What the figures show
- Spain and Italy combine high olive oil consumption with one of the highest life expectancies in the world (9th and 13th).
- Greece eats the most olive oil but, at 81.7 years, ranks only 36th – behind Portugal, which consumes half as much.
- Japan and Switzerland are among the longest-living countries of all with very little olive oil.
- Morocco and Syria consume more olive oil than the USA or Canada but have a considerably lower life expectancy.
Calculated across the 14 countries in the table, there is a weak positive correlation of r = 0.28. Statistically, olive oil consumption thus explains only about 8 per cent of the differences in life expectancy. That is hardly surprising: how long people live in a country depends on many factors, such as income, healthcare, smoking, exercise and overall diet.
Correlation is not causation
Country comparisons like this are food for thought, but not proof. They don't show whether the people who eat a lot of olive oil are the ones who live long. That requires studies of individuals – and those give a much clearer picture. We go through the mortality studies and their effect sizes in detail in Does olive oil extend life?
What studies of people show
PREDIMED: Mediterranean diet with extra virgin olive oil
In Spain's PREDIMED trial, 7,447 people aged 55 to 80 at high cardiovascular risk were randomly assigned to three groups: a Mediterranean diet with extra virgin olive oil, a Mediterranean diet with nuts, or a reduced-fat control diet. After a median of 4.8 years, the Mediterranean groups had around 30 per cent fewer heart attacks, strokes and cardiovascular deaths. The study was published in 2013, retracted in 2018 because of methodological errors and republished with a corrected analysis.
Harvard cohorts: more than 90,000 US adults
An analysis published in 2022 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology followed 60,582 women and 31,801 men for 28 years. Compared with people who rarely or never ate olive oil, those who ate more than half a tablespoon (over 7 grams) a day had a 19 per cent lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, a 17 per cent lower risk of cancer death, a 29 per cent lower risk of death from neurodegenerative disease and an 18 per cent lower risk of death from respiratory disease. Replacing 10 grams a day of margarine, butter, mayonnaise or dairy fat with olive oil was linked to an 8 to 34 per cent lower risk of death. The researchers themselves note that olive oil may also be a marker of an overall healthier diet and higher socioeconomic status.
Which compounds are thought to lie behind these effects is explained in our articles on polyphenols and antioxidants and the nutrition facts and authorised health claims.
Conclusion
Olive oil alone does not make a country long-lived. Japan and Switzerland prove you can grow very old without much of it. At the level of individuals, however, good studies suggest that extra virgin olive oil, as part of a balanced diet and especially in place of animal fats, benefits heart health. For Swiss cooking that means using olive oil where it can replace butter or cream. Ideas are in Swiss recipes with olive oil.
Frequently asked questions
Which country eats the most olive oil?
Greece, with 9.3 kilos per person in crop year 2022/23, according to the International Olive Council. It is followed by Albania (8.7 kg), Spain (7.5 kg) and Italy (7.4 kg).
Do people in countries with lots of olive oil live longer?
Partly. Spain and Italy have both high consumption and very high life expectancy, but Greece ranks only 36th. Across 14 countries the link is weak (r = 0.28).
How much olive oil is healthy?
In the 2022 US study, more than half a tablespoon (over 7 grams) a day was already linked to a lower risk of death. Swiss dietary guidelines recommend 2 tablespoons of plant oil a day, at least one of them rapeseed oil.
How much olive oil do people in Switzerland eat?
Around 1.7 kilos or 1.85 litres per person a year (2016). That is far less than in Mediterranean countries but more than in the USA or Japan.
Sources
- International Olive Council: Olive Sector Statistics – March 2025
- World Bank: Life expectancy at birth, total (years), 2023 data
- Estruch R. et al.: Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease with a Mediterranean Diet Supplemented with Extra-Virgin Olive Oil or Nuts, New England Journal of Medicine (2018)
- Wikipedia: PREDIMED
- Guasch-Ferré M. et al.: Consumption of Olive Oil and Risk of Total and Cause-Specific Mortality Among U.S. Adults, JACC (2022)
- ScienceDaily: Higher olive oil intake associated with lower risk of CVD mortality (10 Jan 2022)
- EVOO Expert: Olivenölkonsum in der Schweiz bleibt auf tiefem Niveau stabil (25 Jan 2019)
Note: This article is for general information only and does not replace advice from a doctor or dietitian. If you have health questions, please consult a professional.
