Pineapple availability pivots from processed to fresh

In the last 30 years, pineapples have become an increasingly popular fresh fruit choice for consumers in the United States. Pineapple availability, a proxy for consumption, has undergone a notable transformation, with a marked shift away from processed forms such as canned pineapple and pineapple juice and toward fresh fruit. Between 1995 and 2024, pineapple availability ranged from 10.9 pounds per person to 14.6 pounds per person. Data from 1995–97 indicate about 17 percent of pineapple availability was fresh, or the equivalent of about 2 pounds per person each year. By 2024, fresh pineapple per capita availability reached a record high of 8.5 pounds per person, accounting for two-thirds of the 12.9 pounds of pineapple available per person on a fresh-weight basis. The steadily increasing fresh share reflects both rising consumer demand for fresh produce including fresh pineapples and declining demand for processed pineapple products and other processed fruit products. The 2022 Census of Agriculture reported some pineapple acreage in California, Florida, Hawaii, and Texas. However, almost all pineapples consumed in the United States are imported. Since the late 1990s, the United States has been the top global importer of fresh pineapples, with Costa Rica supplying almost 90 percent of the 2.92 billion pounds imported in 2024. This chart is drawn from the USDA, Economic Research Service Fruit and Tree Nuts Outlook, July 2025.