One jar of Nutella is sold every 2.5 seconds throughout the world.
A Jar of Nutella Sells Every 2.5 Seconds Worldwide
Every 2.5 seconds, somewhere on Earth, someone buys a jar of Nutella. That works out to roughly 24 jars every single minute, 1,440 jars every hour, and over 34,000 jars every day. The chocolate-hazelnut spread has become a global phenomenon that transcends cultures, continents, and breakfast tables.
This staggering sales pace comes from 2017 Ferrero Group data, and the numbers have only grown since. By 2024, Ferrero's revenue hit €18.4 billion, with Nutella remaining one of their crown jewels alongside Ferrero Rocher and Kinder products.
The Scale Is Mind-Boggling
To put those numbers in perspective, imagine lining up all the Nutella jars sold in a year. You'd circle the Earth 1.4 times. Or you could cover the entire Great Wall of China eight times over. The world collectively consumes around 365,000 tonnes of Nutella annually across 160 countries.
France holds the title as the world's biggest Nutella consumer, followed closely by Germany. But the spread has found fans everywhere from Japan to Brazil to Australia.
From Post-War Necessity to Breakfast Icon
Nutella's origin story is rooted in scarcity. In 1940s Italy, cocoa was expensive and hard to find after World War II. Pietro Ferrero, a pastry maker in Alba, stretched his limited cocoa supply by mixing it with hazelnuts, which were abundant in the Piedmont region.
He created a solid block called "Giandujot" that could be sliced and put on bread. In 1951, it evolved into a creamy spread called "Supercrema." The name "Nutella" didn't arrive until 1964, combining "nut" with the Italian suffix "ella" to make it sound sweet and appealing.
What Makes It So Addictive?
The recipe is deceptively simple: sugar, palm oil, hazelnuts (13%), cocoa (7.4%), milk powder, lecithin, and vanillin. But that specific ratio creates something greater than the sum of its parts. The texture is silky smooth. The flavor balances chocolate sweetness with nutty richness. It works on toast, in crepes, straight from the jar with a spoon (no judgment), or as a midnight snack eaten with your fingers standing in front of an open refrigerator.
Ferrero produces approximately 1.35 million pounds of Nutella every single day to keep up with demand. That requires a lot of hazelnuts—about 25% of the world's entire hazelnut supply goes into Nutella production.
The brand turns 60 in 2024, and to celebrate, Ferrero launched Nutella Ice Cream in select markets. Because apparently, regular Nutella wasn't versatile enough. The spread has inspired cookbooks, fan communities, and even an unofficial "World Nutella Day" on February 5th (created by a fan, not the company).
Whether you pronounce it "new-tell-uh" or "nut-ella," whether you eat it for breakfast or dessert, you're part of a global ritual that repeats itself every 2.5 seconds. And honestly? Those numbers are probably even higher now.