From Argentina to the United States, Italian cuisine has never been so beloved. Agri-food exports soar to €72,5 billion, and online demand for Made in Italy products is growing: pasta, cheese, and olive oil top searches.
There's an Italian ambassador who speaks every language and needs no translators: food. From the supermarkets of Buenos Aires to the kitchens of New York, Made in Italy continues to conquer the planet at the table, and the 2025 numbers confirm this most clearly.
One record after another
Italian agri-food exports have reached the 72,5 billion euros, up 5% compared to the previous year. Of this, 62,5 billion comes from food, beverages, and tobacco, while 10 billion comes from agricultural products. This result places Italy at the top sixth place among world food exporters, with a market share of 4,7%.
Leading the race are sectors that are symbols of our gastronomic culture: the cheeses and dairy products grow by 13,7%, the meat of 10,4%, while "other food products" recorded a +12,7%. Baked goods and flour products also continue to gain ground, with the Italian share of the global market rising from 6,4% in 2015 to 8,2% today.
Pasta, the undisputed queen
If there's one dish that represents Italy in every corner of the world, it's pasta. Today it reaches over 200 countries, and the most loyal devourers remain Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States. But the real news is something else: digital curiosity is growing. Online searches abroad for products like pasta, cheese, and olive oil are sharply increasing, a sign that the desire to cook Italian food is no longer just a passing fad, but a habit taking root in the homes of millions of families.
Not just pasta: also the chocolate Italian (from 6,2% to 7,2% global share), the vegetable preserves (from 6% to 7%) and the coffee (from 4,6% to 5,2%) are gaining space on shelves around the world. This is a sign that the entire Italian pantry, and not just a single product, is perceived as synonymous with quality.
Food as a bridge between two worlds
For the Italian communities abroad, all this has a special flavor. In Argentina, approximately 30 million people with Italian origins, in Brazil over 32 million, with São Paulo the capital of a vibrant diaspora. For them, a plate of pasta on Sunday, a slice of cheese, or a cup of coffee are more than just food: they are memory, family, identity. They are the thread that ties generations raised on the other side of the ocean to the lands of their grandparents and great-grandparents.
The boom in Made in Italy food also speaks to this: not only the ability of Italian companies to conquer new markets, but the strength of a culture that, wherever it arrives, is welcomed as something authentic and precious. When an Italian product enters a foreign kitchen, it brings with it a piece of history, landscapes, and handed-down knowledge.
A wealth to be preserved
Behind every record number are thousands of farmers, cheesemakers, pasta makers, pork butchers, and small family businesses who defend quality and tradition every day. They are responsible for the primacy of a country that, while not the largest in the world, manages to make itself coveted like no other when it comes to fine dining.
Italian food isn't just a financial affair: it's a cultural heritage that unites Italy with its descendants around the world and fascinates those who've never been Italian. And if online searches continue to grow, one thing is certain: the world's hunger for Italy won't subside anytime soon.
