Turkey's Confectionery Exports Hit Record $4.5 Billion in 2024
Turkey's confectionery and chocolate sector exported a record $4.5 billion in 2024, up 16% year-on-year, shipping 1.2 million tons to about 198 countries. Iraq, the United States and Germany were the top buyers, and exports in early 2025 are already running ahead of last year's pace.
Record Year for Turkish Sweets
Turkey's confectionery and chocolate goods sector, one of the food industry's most dynamic sub-sectors and rooted in a strong domestic consumption culture, posted record exports of $4.5 billion in 2024, up 16% year-on-year, according to data compiled from the Ministry of Trade by Anadolu Agency (AA). The sector shipped 1.2 million tons of product to buyers in roughly 198 countries, spanning chocolate, ice cream, jam and cake exports alongside traditional Turkish sweets.
The 2024 result continues a multi-year climb:
- 2021: about $2.9 billion
- 2022: $3.4 billion
- 2023: about $3.7 billion
- 2024: $4.5 billion, a record, up 16% year-on-year
Momentum has carried into 2025: exports in the first five months of the year already surpassed $1.7 billion, AA reported.
Iraq, United States and Germany Lead Export Markets
Iraq was Turkey's largest confectionery export market in 2024, taking in $719.2 million worth of product, followed by the United States at $515.1 million and Germany at $271.2 million. The United Kingdom imported $193.6 million of Turkish confectionery, while Russia rounded out the top five with $152.8 million, according to Ministry of Trade figures cited by AA.
The customer base spanning close to 198 countries reflects both established demand in the Middle East and growing sales in Western Europe and North America, where Turkish chocolate and confectionery brands have expanded shelf presence through wider distribution networks and multinational investment in domestic production.
For importers and market analysts, the scale of shipments, 1.2 million tons across nearly 198 destinations, signals that Turkish suppliers can support large, recurring orders rather than one-off contracts, a factor increasingly relevant as buyers diversify sourcing away from more volatile confectionery supply chains elsewhere.
Dried Fruit and Nut Supply Chains Underpin Growth
Turkey's export strength rests on its dominant position in global dried fruit and nut production, key raw materials for confectionery manufacturing, AA reported. The country also produces enough sugar domestically to meet its own needs, giving manufacturers stable access to core inputs without reliance on imports.
Domestic production capacity comfortably exceeds local consumption, pushing most mid-sized and large Turkish confectionery companies to sell abroad as net exporters. Alongside traditional products such as lokum (Turkish delight) and helva, which remain closely tied to religious holidays, weddings and family visits in Turkish culture, manufacturers have expanded output of chocolate confectionery, ice cream, jam and cake to match shifting global consumer tastes.
Outlook for 2025
Producers are working to align with international quality and food-safety standards while developing higher value-added products for global snacking trends, according to AA. In parallel with global food industry growth, value-added products and innovative snacks are gaining market share worldwide, a trend Turkish producers are positioned to capture given their raw material advantages.
Rising chocolate demand among Turkey's young population, combined with expanding distribution channels and multinational investment, is reinforcing chocolate confectionery as one of the sector's most dynamic export categories. With exports in the first five months of 2025 already at $1.7 billion, the sector is on pace to test its 2024 record over the full year, giving importers an early signal to plan supply agreements ahead of peak holiday-season demand.
