M. Shahbandeh
Research expert covering agriculture & FMCG
Salt industry worldwide - statistics & facts
Salt, a crucial element of life, is manufactured as a seasoning for human consumption as well as used in chemical industries. The most prominent use for salt is as a feedstock for the production of industrial chemicals. The worldwide market for sea salt production was valued at over 18 billion U.S. dollars in 2022, with 290 million metric tons of salt produced that year. China, India, and the United States top three countries for salt production and altogether produced a combined total of over 151 million metric tons of salt in 2022.
The United States imported about 18 million metric tons of salt in 2022, a slight decrease from the year before. As of 2022, the price of vacuum and open pan salt in the United States was estimated to stand at 230 U.S. dollars per ton, while the price of solar salt amounted to approximately 130 U.S. dollars per ton during the same year.
International trade
India exports the most salt of any country, transporting over 13 billion kilograms in 2022. The United States was the leading importer of salt worldwide that year, where it is used in industrial applications within sectors such as pharmaceuticals, agriculture and livestock, and chemical productions.The United States imported about 18 million metric tons of salt in 2022, a slight decrease from the year before. As of 2022, the price of vacuum and open pan salt in the United States was estimated to stand at 230 U.S. dollars per ton, while the price of solar salt amounted to approximately 130 U.S. dollars per ton during the same year.
Global salt consumption
Americans' have been eating less salt since 2014, when there was a peak of a reported 55.6 million metric tons. Consumers in the U.S. tend to limit their food intake based on artificial sweeteners, sugar, or artificial preservatives rather than salt. However, reports have shown that diets high in sodium do have some health risks, such as high blood pressure, stroke, or heart failure. Other countries have a higher reported per capita consumption of salt than the United States. The estimated average adult salt intake equivalent in China amounted to about 17.7 grams per day.
