Rubber is one of the most vital farm products, the pillar of industries from tires to cars to healthcare and building. Global production of natural rubber in 2025 is expected to reach approximately 14.9 million metric tons, while demand is expected to cross 15.6 million tons, leaving a slight deficit.
According to a report by World Population Review, Southeast Asian nations continue to dominate the industry, which as a group controls more than 85% of the world's output. Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam hold their positions, and African countries such as the Ivory Coast are rising growth hubs.
Top 10 Rubber Producing Countries (2025)
| Rank | Country | Estimated Production (metric tons, 2025) | Global Share (%) | Key Highlights |
| 1 | Thailand | 5,350,000 | 36% | Remains the world leader; boosted by favorable climate and advanced tapping methods |
| 2 | Indonesia | 2,040,000 | 14% | Faced 9.8% decline due to farmer shift toward palm oil cultivation |
| 3 | Vietnam | 1,280,000 | 9% | Growing export hub with advanced plantation technology |
| 4 | India | 1,060,000 | 7% | Kerala contributes 78% of India’s total production; steady rise amid favorable prices |
| 5 | China | 890,000 | 6% | Expanding mid-Yunnan plantations; sharp domestic demand growth for tire industries |
| 6 | Ivory Coast | 800,000 | 5% | Africa’s largest producer; investments in processing units boosting yield |
| 7 | Malaysia | 535,000 | 4% | Once a global leader, now focused on high-quality latex and replanting |
| 8 | Philippines | 450,000 | 3% | Southern Mindanao becoming a regional rubber hub |
| 9 | Guatemala | 380,000 | 3% | Latin America’s top producer, exporting mainly to the US and Japan |
| 10 | Myanmar | 310,000 | 2% | Production expanding in Mon and Tanintharyi regions despite political instability |
Global Rubber Industry Trends
The Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC) forecasts a modest 0.5% growth in global production for 2025, while demand will rise 1.8%, mainly driven by Chinese and Indian tire manufacturing. However, Indonesia's crop conversion and mature-tree curtailments, together with climate disruptions, threaten future supply.
Southeast Asia is still the world's largest producer, but West Africa, led by the Ivory Coast and Nigeria, is gradually expanding output through foreign investment and new plantations. India and China maintain dual roles as the world's foremost producers and its biggest consumers of natural rubber with growing industrial demand.
Economic Importance and Sustainability
The rubber industry plays a vital role in rural livelihood. Smallholder farmers from millions of households worldwide rely on latex tapping for their livelihood. Thai, Vietnamese, and Indian governments have launched replanting campaigns and encouraged climate-smart agriculture to ensure supply chains in times of weather uncertainty and labor shortages.
Moves are also underway to develop sustainable natural rubber (SNR) standards and expand rubber products beyond tires, especially in the medical and renewable sectors.
The tropical economies of Asia still preoccupy the global rubber market, as Thailand and Indonesia lead the world in production. Yet the balance between environmental consciousness, demand, and cost is the essential issue to the future of the industry. As demand continues to grow propelled by automobile and manufacturing growth countries that capitalize on technological development and ecologically friendly plantation management will chart the course for the supply of rubber around the globe during the coming decade.
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