Olive Oil No Longer Biggest-Selling Oil in Spain
One of the reasons why the Mediterranean diet is thought to be so good for us is the healthy fats in the olive oil used in the cooking.
But across the south of Europe, prices of olive oil have been increasing, and many people are finding they can't afford to have it in their kitchens.
In Spain, it's no longer the most popular cooking oil. In the first half of 2024, people bought just 107 million liters of olive oil — but 179 million liters of sunflower oil.
That's according to Anierac, Spain's biggest olive oil bottling association.
Never before has olive oil been pushed into second place.
According to the Spanish government, until now, olive oil had always been the most popular oil. In 2023, 62% of oil sales were of olive oil.
It's easy to see why there has been a change. The Independent reports that a liter of sunflower oil costs a little more than $2 on average, while a liter of olive oil can now cost almost $7.
Bad weather in Spain — which makes around 40% of the world's olive oil — has sent prices up. The country's spring weather has been hotter than usual, and there have also been long dry periods, which are bad for olives.
Other big olive oil producers in the Mediterranean — Greece and Portugal — have had similar difficulties, with prices rising in those countries too.
In Spain, the government has reduced the tax on olive oil, while one supermarket has also reduced its prices to encourage people to buy it again.
