Americans like their pineapples. And, increasingly, they like them fresh.
According to the most recent pineapple information from USDA’s Economic Research Service, the majority of pineapple consumed in the U.S. has shifted over the past 35 years.
In 1990, there were roughly 2 pounds of fresh pineapple available per consumer (availability being a proxy for consumption). This represented less than 15% of the total per capita pineapple availability, with canned and juice being the primary way consumers could enjoy pineapple. By 2024, however, this dynamic had reversed.
“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,” writes Helen Wakefield, ERS agricultural economist. “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.”
This dynamic is reflected in The Packer’s Fresh Trends surveys. Since the 2023 report, 38% of survey respondents have reported buying fresh pineapple. Confidence surrounding pineapple ripeness has also stayed fairly steady in that time with roughly 40% of respondents reporting they know how to pick ripe, ready-to-eat pineapples throughout those years.
However, in the 2023 report 6% of respondents reported they had recently started buying fresh pineapple. In 2024 that number grew to 10% of respondents reporting being new pineapple buyers, suggesting growing interest.
Almost all of the pineapple consumed in the U.S. is imported, with the majority of imports — roughly 90% of total imports of 2.92 billion pounds in 2024 — coming from Costa Rica. The July 2025 edition of the Fruit and Tree Nuts Outlook noted that imports were down 3% in January through May, peak pineapple import volumes are historically in May, in 2025 due to bad weather.
