Poland is producing more than a third of all pumpkins harvested in the European Union, with output expected to approach 480,000 tonnes in 2026 after the country strengthened its position as the bloc’s largest producer last year.
Poland harvested 435,770 tonnes of pumpkins in 2025, equivalent to around 35% of the EU total of 1.23 million tonnes, according to agricultural data reported by Polish Radio. Production this year is estimated to increase further to around 480,130 tonnes.
That means the 436,000-tonne figure highlighted in some current reporting refers to Poland’s 2025 harvest, rather than its estimated production for 2026.
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Poland has held the position of the EU’s largest pumpkin producer since 2020. The country’s rapid rise has been driven largely by a substantial expansion in the amount of farmland devoted to the crop.
According to the National Support Centre for Agriculture’s analysis of Eurostat data, Poland already accounted for one-third of EU pumpkin production in 2024. That year, Polish farmers harvested around 383,000 tonnes.
The expansion continued sharply in 2025.
Figures cited by KOWR show that Poland’s pumpkin-growing area increased from around 1,300 hectares in 2015 to 10,500 hectares in 2025. Over the same period, production rose from 47,000 tonnes to around 436,000 tonnes — an increase of more than nine times.
The area under cultivation is expected to approach 12,000 hectares in 2026, according to agriculture ministry data reported by Polish Radio.
Poland’s lead over other major EU producers is substantial.
In 2025, France produced around 250,000 tonnes, accounting for 20% of EU output. Spain followed with 171,000 tonnes, Germany with 122,000 tonnes and Portugal with 85,000 tonnes.
Together with Poland, those five countries produced around 86% of all pumpkins harvested in the EU.
European pumpkin production has itself been increasing. KOWR reported that the EU harvest reached around 1.2 million tonnes in 2025, approximately 6% higher than the previous year, continuing an upward trend visible since 2019.
Despite Poland’s dominant production position, relatively little of its harvest leaves the country.
Poland exported around 4,800 tonnes of pumpkins in 2025 — only about 1% of domestic production. Italy was the largest destination, accounting for 22% of exports, followed by Germany with 21%, Slovakia with 17% and the Czech Republic with 13%.
Those exports were worth almost €3.2 million, down from more than €4 million in 2024. Poland simultaneously imported around 2,900 tonnes of pumpkins, principally from Germany, the Netherlands and Spain.
The imbalance between enormous domestic production and relatively modest exports suggests that Poland’s pumpkin boom has been driven primarily by its home market.
Pumpkins are used not only as fresh food but also by the food-processing, pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries. Seeds and pumpkin-seed oil provide additional commercial uses, while decorative varieties have also become increasingly visible during the autumn season.
KOWR says growing cultivation and production reflect the crop’s increasing importance both to Polish agriculture and to consumers.
The variety of pumpkins grown commercially has expanded alongside production. In 2026, Poland’s National Register of Varieties contained 36 registered pumpkin varieties, with common pumpkin and giant pumpkin among the dominant species grown in the country.
Poland’s transformation into the EU’s pumpkin leader has been rapid. A decade ago it produced fewer than 50,000 tonnes annually; last year the figure approached 436,000 tonnes, and current estimates suggest the 2026 crop could move towards half a million tonnes.
