Libya has secured the fourth position in Africa for date exports in 2025, with a total of 16,000 tons valued at $25 million. According to data published by the "Ecofinn" platform, this ranking reflects the presence of Libyan dates among the top agricultural products exported from the African continent. With vast areas of palm tree farms spread across oases and agricultural regions, Libya has an estimated 34,500 hectares dedicated to date cultivation and production.
Algeria led the list of top African date-exporting countries in 2025, with 185,000 tons of dates worth $184 million. This significant figure highlights Algeria's prominent position in the global date market, allowing it to provide large quantities for export. Algeria's substantial production capacity enables it to be at the forefront of African countries in this agricultural activity.
Tunisia ranked second in Africa for date exports in 2025, with 147,000 tons, but recorded the highest financial value among the top five countries at $347 million. The difference between Tunisia's export value and volume underscores the importance of the types of dates exported, their quality, and the demand for them, as well as packaging, marketing, and access to target markets.
Egypt secured the third position in the African ranking, exporting 39,000 tons of dates worth $147 million in 2025. Egypt's export volume was less than that of Algeria and Tunisia but more than double that of Libya, while its export value was approximately six times that of Libya. This positions Egypt as one of the leading African countries in the external trade of dates.
Libya's date exports for 2025 totaled 16,000 tons, valued at $25 million, placing it fourth in Africa, ahead of South Africa, which ranked fifth. Despite this achievement, Libya's exports are significantly lower than those of the top three countries, with a difference of around 169,000 tons from Algeria and 131,000 tons from Tunisia.
South Africa ranked fifth among the largest African date-exporting countries in 2025, with 6,200 tons valued at $26 million. Although its export volume is lower than Libya's, the financial value of South Africa's exports slightly exceeded Libya's, highlighting the variation in the average financial value per ton among exporting countries.
Libya's fourth-place ranking in African date exports indicates the product's presence in external trade, but also reveals a significant gap in export volume and value compared to the top three countries. Opportunities exist for Libya to enhance its production efficiency, improve post-harvest processes, and develop packaging, processing, and external marketing to increase the value and volume of its date exports.
Key points
- Libya exported 16,000 tons of dates worth $25 million in 2025, ranking fourth in Africa.
