Italy is the land of diversity: hundreds of olive varieties, oils from the mild Riviera Ligure to the robust Coratina of Apulia, and more protected designations of origin than anywhere else. At the same time Italy is one of the largest importers, because domestic consumption and its bottling industry need more oil than the country harvests.

Italy in figures

Production 2024/25248,000 tonnes (IOC, provisional)
Share of world productionaround 7%
Protected olive oils (EU register)50 (42 PDO, 8 PGI)
Key varietiesCoratina, Ogliarola, Frantoio, Leccino, Moraiolo, Nocellara del Belice, Carolea, Taggiasca
Virgin olive oil exports 2023238,892 tonnes worth USD 1.88 billion

Harvests vary widely: according to a Mediobanca study, 2024/25 was 31.8 per cent below the previous year.

The main growing areas

According to Area Studi Mediobanca, Italian olive oil production is distributed as follows:

RegionShare
Apulia45.1%
Sicily10.7%
Calabria10.3%
Tuscany8.3%
Lazio6.8%
  • Apulia: Italy's olive heartland with centuries-old trees and the intense Coratina variety. The Salento has suffered for years from the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa.
  • Sicily and Calabria: Nocellara del Belice, Biancolilla and Carolea shape the oils of the south. According to Mediobanca, Calabria achieves the highest oil yield at 19 per cent.
  • Tuscany and Umbria: smaller, but famous for green, peppery oils from Frantoio, Moraiolo and Leccino.
  • Liguria and Lake Garda: northern areas with mild, delicate oils, for example from the Taggiasca olive.

Designations of origin: 50 protected olive oils

No country has more protected olive oils in the EU register eAmbrosia:

  • 42 protected designations of origin (PDO): Alto Crotonese, Aprutino Pescarese, Brisighella, Bruzio, Canino, Cartoceto, Chianti Classico, Cilento, Collina di Brindisi, Colline Pontine, Colline Salernitane, Colline Teatine, Colline di Romagna, Dauno, Garda, Irpinia – Colline dell'Ufita, Laghi Lombardi, Lametia, Lucca, Molise, Monte Etna, Monti Iblei, Penisola Sorrentina, Pretuziano delle Colline Teramane, Riviera Ligure, Sabina, Sardegna, Seggiano, Tergeste, Terra d'Otranto, Terra di Bari, Terre Aurunche, Terre Tarentine, Terre di Siena, Tuscia, Umbria, Val di Mazara, Valdemone, Valle del Belice, Valli Trapanesi, Veneto Valpolicella / Euganei e Berici / del Grappa, Vulture.
  • 8 protected geographical indications (PGI): Toscano, Sicilia, Olio di Puglia, Olio di Calabria, Olio Campania, Olio di Roma, Olio lucano, Marche.

In volume terms they carry little weight, though: according to the Italian Ministry of Agriculture, three quarters of PDO and PGI stocks belong to just four designations.

Competitions and guides

  • Premio Ercole Olivario: the national competition in Perugia is known as the “Oscar of olive oil”. The 34th edition took place in 2026, awarding Italian PDO, PGI and extra virgin olive oils across several fruitiness levels.
  • Premio Biol: founded in 1996 in Andria (Apulia), one of the leading international competitions for organic olive oils.
  • Flos Olei: Marco Oreggia's olive oil guide rates producers worldwide; the 2026 edition covers 57 countries, 500 producers and more than 760 oils.

Where Italy exports its olive oil

According to UN trade statistics (World Bank WITS, tariff code 150910), Italy exported virgin olive oils worth USD 1.88 billion in 2023:

DestinationValue (USD million)Volume (tonnes)Share of export value
United States597.775,86832%
Germany252.131,66013%
France156.221,0078%
Canada93.711,8765%
Japan90.012,1955%
Switzerland63.56,9783%

The table shows the five largest markets plus Switzerland, Italy's eighth-largest market. Conversely, customs statistics show that half of the olive oil imported into Switzerland in 2020 came from Italy, at an average import price of CHF 6.30 per kilo. Many Italian brands also bottle oil from Spain, Greece or Tunisia; the origin is stated on the label.

Three Italian recipes with olive oil

Bruschetta al pomodoro

Serves 4: 8 slices of country bread, 4 ripe tomatoes, 1 garlic clove, a few basil leaves, 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper.

  1. Dice the tomatoes finely and mix with basil, salt, pepper and 2 tbsp olive oil.
  2. Toast the bread and rub it with the halved garlic clove.
  3. Top with the tomatoes and drizzle with the remaining oil.

Spaghetti aglio, olio e peperoncino

Serves 4: 400 g spaghetti, 4 garlic cloves, 1 dried chilli, 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, flat-leaf parsley, salt.

  1. Cook the spaghetti al dente in salted water, keeping a cup of the cooking water.
  2. Gently cook the sliced garlic and chilli in the olive oil until golden.
  3. Add the spaghetti with a little cooking water, toss until the oil binds and serve with parsley.

Pesto alla genovese

Serves 4: 50 g basil leaves, 1 garlic clove, 2 tbsp pine nuts, 60 g grated Parmesan, 20 g pecorino, 100 ml mild extra virgin olive oil, salt.

  1. Crush the garlic, pine nuts and salt in a mortar.
  2. Add the basil a little at a time and grind to a paste.
  3. Stir in the cheese and olive oil. A mild oil, for example from Liguria, is ideal.

Read more: Swiss recipes with olive oil: 10 classics and Olive oil test Switzerland 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How much olive oil does Italy produce?

248,000 tonnes in 2024/25 according to the International Olive Council. Output varies greatly and is considerably higher in good years.

Which Italian region produces the most olive oil?

Apulia, with around 45 per cent of production, ahead of Sicily and Calabria with around 10 per cent each.

How many PDO olive oils does Italy have?

The EU register protects 50 Italian olive oils: 42 designations of origin (PDO) and 8 geographical indications (PGI).

Is Italian olive oil always made from Italian olives?

No. Italy imports a lot of oil, for example from Spain and Greece. The origin of the olives must be on the label; “100% Italian” or a PDO guarantees Italian olives.

Sources