Spanish honey output falls 11.5% as hive numbers decline
Spain produced 29,350 tonnes of honey in 2025, down 11.5% from the previous season, while the country has lost about 360,000 hives since 2020. Imports exceeded domestic production, but stronger exports and lower consumption lifted self-sufficiency to 86.9%.
Weather and disease cut the harvest
Spain produced 29,350 tonnes of honey in 2025, an 11.5% decline from the previous season, according to AgroDigital. The sector attributed the fall to wildfires and an erratic weather pattern in which heavy rain early in the year was followed by severe drought, disrupting flowering periods. Varroosis and the spread of invasive alien species added further pressure on colonies and beekeepers.
Beeswax moved in the opposite direction. Production reached a record 2,060 tonnes, up 14%. Honey output remained concentrated in four autonomous communities accounting for more than 60% of the national total: Castilla y León with 16.8%, Andalusia with 16.4%, the Valencian Community with 15.5% and Castilla-La Mancha with 10.9%.
Extremadura recorded the sharpest regional setback. Its share of Spanish honey production fell from 15.2% in 2024 to 9.6% in 2025. The decline is particularly significant because the region has the country's highest proportion of professional beekeeping operations.
Spain has lost 360,000 hives since 2020
Spain currently has 2,741,400 hives, 0.15% fewer than a year earlier. The annual change is limited, but the longer trend is more severe: the country has lost around 360,000 hives from the peaks recorded in 2020. Migratory beekeeping remains dominant, with 79% of hives moved between locations to follow flowering seasons.
Under the new 2026 counting methodology, Spain has 27,781 beekeeping operations. Of these, 17% are classified as strictly professional, meaning they manage more than 150 hives. Professional operations represent 64% of the sector in Extremadura, 39% in Andalusia and 30% in the Region of Murcia.
Imports exceed production as exports rise
Spain imported 35,092 tonnes of honey in 2025, more than its domestic output. Suppliers within Europe accounted for 55% and countries outside Europe for 45%, with Ukraine established as the leading non-EU source. Purchases from China fell 38.8%. The total import bill was €68.1 million.
Exports increased 13.4% to 30,666 tonnes and generated record revenue of €110.5 million, 10% more than a year earlier. France, Germany, Portugal and Italy were identified as important markets for Spanish honey. The figures show a sector importing substantial volumes while selling higher-value output abroad: average export revenue per traded tonne was well above average import expenditure per tonne.
Consumption falls and origin labels tighten
Apparent honey consumption in Spain declined 20.5% in 2025 to about 700 grams per person. Lower domestic demand helped raise the self-sufficiency rate to 86.9%, despite the reduced harvest. Prices diverged by category: bulk honeydew honey rose 12% to €4.48 per kilogram, while packaged multifloral honey fell 7.8% to an average of €6.56 per kilogram.
Since June 2026, labels must clearly identify honey's country of origin. Blends must also state the exact percentage from each origin. For Spanish producers and packers, the rules make the composition of imported blends more visible at a time when declining hive numbers, unstable flowering conditions and disease are constraining domestic supply.
