Over the past three decades, fresh pineapples have gained significant popularity among U.S. consumers. Pineapple availability, which serves as an indicator of consumption levels, has shifted dramatically from processed products like canned fruit and juice to fresh fruit. Between 1995 and 2024, per capita availability fluctuated between 10.9 and 14.6 pounds annually. In the mid-1990s, only about 17 percent—roughly 2 pounds per person—was available in fresh form. By 2024, that figure had risen to 8.5 pounds per person, making up two-thirds of the total 12.9 pounds available on a fresh-weight basis. This trend highlights growing consumer preference for unprocessed produce and a parallel decline in demand for preserved fruit items. Although some pineapple cultivation occurs in California, Florida, Hawaii, and Texas, as noted in the 2022 Census of Agriculture, nearly all pineapples consumed domestically are imported. Since the late 1990s, the United States has led global imports of fresh pineapples, with Costa Rica supplying close to 90 percent of the 2.92 billion pounds brought in during 2024. This data is sourced from the USDA Economic Research Service’s Fruit and Tree Nuts Outlook report from July 2025.
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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.