U.S. retail price of lemons 1995-2024

In the United States, the retail price of a pound of lemons stood at just above two U.S. dollars in 2024. The average price of the citrus lemon has fluctuated significantly over the past few decades, peaking in 2018 with almost two and a half U.S. dollars per pound. 

Lemon and lime producers

During the 2022/2023 marketing year, Mexico was the leading fresh lemon and lime producer in the world. Within that period, the country produced 2.8 million metric tons of lemon and lime. Argentina and the European Union ranked second and third, producing 1.77 and 1.57 million metric tons, respectively.

Bananas and grapefruit

In 2022, a pound of bananas cost the American consumer around 63 cents. Over the past ten years, the price of bananas has remained relatively close to this amount in the United States. Grapefruit, on the other hand, has had a rockier journey: in 2020, a pound of grapefruit cost approximately 1.2 U.S. dollars . Just one year earlier, the same fruit cost U.S. consumers an additional five cents.