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Italy’s canned tuna business shown resilience in 2024, continuing to hold its position as a pillar of the country’s food economy.
Exports were key in 2024. Including out-of-home sales – estimated to account for 6% of total value – the Italian canned tuna market reached €1.65 billion, up 1.5% year-on-year, according to Ancit analysis of Circana data.
Export volumes rose 9.6% to 30,600 tonnes, with demand driven by European markets such as Germany, Greece, Croatia, Romania, Slovenia, Poland, Hungary, and Austria. Non-EU destinations are also expanding, led by Switzerland, Canada (aided by the CETA trade deal), and Saudi Arabia – all of which imported more than 1,000 tonnes. Other promising growth markets include Israel, Serbia, the US, China, and the UAE.
“The data confirm that consumers continue to value canned fish,” said Giovanni Battista Valsecchi, president of Ancit. “Canned tuna retains key advantages – convenience, sustainability, nutritional value – that reinforce its role in the modern diet.”
Unit sales fell by just 0.6%, indicating robust underlying demand, although retail sales volumes plummeted 4% year over year. Italy is still the second-largest producer and consumer of canned fish in Europe, after Spain, which is generally regarded as the industry standard worldwide.
According to research by AstraRicerche and Ancit (the Italian Association of Fish Canning Industries), nearly 60% of Italians consume it at least once a week, and over a third (34.8%) report increased consumption in the past two to three years.
The product’s appeal is a reflection of changing consumer preferences: 21.3% value its high protein content, which is particularly appealing to health-conscious and athletic consumers; 25.9% see it as a viable alternative to fresh fish; 26.1% value its waste-reducing qualities; and 35.1% cite its ready-to-eat convenience.
Per capita consumption stood at 2.36 kg in 2024. Domestic production declined 2.2% to 72,000 tonnes. With imports steady at 98,000 tonnes and exports rising sharply, the volume of canned tuna available to the Italian market fell 2.66% to approximately 140,000 tonnes.
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