Soy is a versatile crop grown all over the world. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, soybeans are the eighth-most valuable crop produced in the world, producing $107 billion in global gross production value. It’s an incredible legume that can grow in many types of environments. In fact, in just the top 10 countries, soybean is grown on four different continents!
The crop requires well-drained soil, and droughts are a big limitation on soybean growth. You’ll find that during years with droughts, soybean production is considerably lower. However, these crops can thrive in both cold regions as well as tropical ones. That’s how the Midwest of the United States competes with Brazil — it’s an incredibly well-adjusted crop.
Each year, the United States Department of Agriculture produces reports on crops grown around the world. The data for the following slideshow was taken from the 2022 Soybean Explorer, a phenomenal resource for assessing the growth of soybeans globally. Discover the 10 biggest soybean producers globally below.
10. Bolivia
Almost all of the soybeans grown in Bolivia are grown in the Santa Cruz region. 99%, in fact!
©piccaya/iStock via Getty Images
The tenth-largest producer of soy worldwide is Bolivia. This South American country produces a massive amount of soy. In fact, in 2022, Bolivian farmers grew 3,350,000 metric tons of the legume! Despite being a substantial amount, Bolivia actually only accounts for around 1% of the world’s soybean production.
9. Ukraine
The region of Khmelnystka was the largest Ukrainian grower of soy in 2022. In fact, this region accounted for 12% of soybean production in the country.
©Vitalii_Mamchuk/Shutterstock.com
Located in western Europe is the ninth-largest soy grower on the globe: Ukraine. Ukraine produced over 4 million metric tons of soy in 2022, accounting for around 1% of the world’s global production of the legume. A lot of different regions in Ukraine grow the crop, primarily in the western and northern portions of the country.
8. Russia
The Central region of Russia was responsible for most of the soybeans grown in 2022, followed closely by the Far East. Together, these two regions grew 82% of Russia’s soybeans.
©iStock.com/sabyna75
The Eurasian country of Russia is another major grower of soybeans globally. In 2022, Russian farmers produced almost 2% of the globe’s soy crop. In fact, the country grew just under 6 million metric tons of the stuff! Most of Russia’s soybean production is along the country’s southern border.
7. Canada
55% of all soybeans grown in Canada are grown in the province of Ontario! Manitoba is the second-largest producer, growing 24% of the nation’s crop.
©Daniel Carson Fung/Shutterstock.com
Hopping over to the continent of North America, we have the seventh-largest grower of soy in the world: Canada. In 2022, farmers in Canada produced over 6.5 million tons of soybeans. This accounted for around 2% of the global production of the crop that year. Canada has one of the chilliest climates for soybean production, but they still make a dent on the global crop!
6. Paraguay
Alto Parana was the largest soybean-growing region of Paraguay in 2022, producing 25% of the country’s crop.
©Jan Schneckenhaus/Shutterstock.com
Paraguay is another major player when it comes to global soybean production. This South American country grew just over 9 million tons of the crop in 2022, accounting for around 2% of the soybean found on Earth. Most of the soybeans grown in Paraguay can be found in the southeast portion of the country.
5. India
The Maharashtra state of India was the most prominent soybean producer in the country. In fact, Maharashtra produced just over a quarter of the country’s total soybeans.
©Abhi photo studio/Shutterstock.com
India is the fifth-largest soy producer in the globe, and the first country on this list located on the continent of Asia. The country produced 12,411,000 metric tons of soybeans in 2022, totaling 3% of the globe’s soybeans. Much of the farming of soybeans in India takes place in the central portions of the country.
4. China
The vast majority of soybeans produced in China are grown in the Xinjiang province. In fact, 87% of the country’s total crop is grown here!
©branislavpudar/Shutterstock.com
Another Asian soybean producer is China. In 2022, China took the fourth-place spot for the largest producer of soybeans on Earth. The country grew 20,284,000 metric tons of the legume, totaling 5% of the world’s soybean production.
While China isn’t the largest grower of the crop, it is the largest importer. The country imported over 91 million metric tons of the crop in just the year 2022 alone. China uses the soybeans they import to produce animal feed, tofu, and oil that is then exported around the world.
3. Argentina
Buenos Aires and Cordoba are the two largest producers of soybeans in Argentina. In fact, these two regions alone produced almost 60% of the country’s total soybean crop!
©iStock.com/paulobaqueta
Clearly, South America is a prominent producer of soybeans globally. The third-largest producer of soybeans on Earth is Argentina. Argentina produced 25,000,000 metric tons of soybeans in 2022, totaling 7% of the global crop.
However, one important component of soybean growth is a wet climate. In 2022, Argentina suffered an intense drought, so the soybean production for the next season is going to be about half of what it was in this season. It’s likely that the country will move down the ranks for global soybean production due to the weather during the growing season.
2. United States
Mississippi and Arkansas are the two largest soybean producers within the United States. Together, they produced 14% of the country’s soybean crop.
©1742637884/Shutterstock.com
In second place for the most soybean production in the world is the United States. In fact, in 2022, the United States produced 116,216,000 metric tons of the legume. Soybeans in America are primarily grown in the Midwest, though a bit is grown further south.
Despite being a global leader in soybean production, the United States’ number one most valuable crop is actually corn. In 2022, soybeans produced the state 61.15 billion dollars in value. But corn produced around 91 billion dollars that year! Soybeans, however, are the second-most valuable crop in the country.
1. Brazil
Mato Grosso and Parana are the two most common regions for soybean production in Brazil. These two regions grow 41% of Brazil’s soybean crop.
©12MN/iStock via Getty Images
Finally, Brazil takes the cake as the #1 producer of soybeans on the globe. 43% of the world’s production of soybeans is grown in Brazil, with the majority being produced in the Mato Grosso region of the country. In 2022, Brazil produced 160,000,000 metric tons of soybeans.
The prior year, Brazil was still a leader in soybean production. In fact, the country produced 38.6 billion USD from the crop in 2021. Soybeans are becoming more valuable as each year passes, and Brazil is clearly benefitting!
As the global leader in soybean production, it’s fitting that soybeans are Brazil’s largest crop. Both Brazil and the United States export massive portions of the crop to China, the largest importer of soybeans globally.
Summary of the Countries that Grow the Most Soy
Clearly, soybeans are a diverse and incredible crop, thriving in a wide variety of different climates. From Russia to Brazil, soy can survive and thrive all over the world. The ten countries growing the most soybeans in the world equal approximately 96% of the soybeans in the world. That’s pretty incredible!
Here’s a quick summary of the ten countries that grow the most soy:
| Rank | Country | Production (MT) | % of Global Production |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Brazil | 160,000,000 | 43 |
| 2. | United States | 116,216,000 | 31 |
| 3. | Argentina | 25,000,000 | 7 |
| 4. | China | 20,284,000 | 5 |
| 5. | India | 12,411,000 | 3 |
| 6. | Paraguay | 9,050,000 | 2 |
| 7. | Canada | 6,543,000 | 2 |
| 8. | Russia | 5,996,000 | 1 |
| 9. | Ukraine | 4,100,000 | 1 |
| 10. | Bolivia | 3,350,000 | 1 |
The photo featured at the top of this post is © simazoran, dansdesign/ via Canva.com
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