2 World Wide Milk Production and Consumption

The world dairy situation- facts and figures regarding production and consumption- is presented by the International Dairy Federation here.

Total milk consumption (as fluid milk and processed products) per person varies widely from highs in Europe and North America (60-90 kg) to lows in Asia (<30 kg). However, as the various regions of the world become more integrated through travel and migration, these trends are changing, a factor which needs to be considered by product developers and marketers of milk and milk products in various countries of the world.

Even within regions such as Europe, the custom of milk consumption has varied greatly. Consider for example the high consumption of fluid milk in countries like Finland, Norway and Sweden compared to France and Italy where cheeses have tended to dominate milk consumption. When you also consider the climates of these regions, it would appear that the culture of producing more stable products (cheese) in hotter climates as a means of preservation is evident. Table 1 illustrates milk per capita consumption information from various countries of the world (data from 2017), while Table 2 shows the quantity of raw milk produced around the world.

Table 1. Per Capita Consumption of Milk (L) and Milk Products (kg) in Various Countries, 2017 data

Note the inverse relationship in Europe between milk-drinking countries and cheese/butter-eating countries. (www.dairyinfo.gc.ca)

Table 2. Cow Milk Production (‘000 tonnes) in Selected Countries of the World, 2017 data

(www.dairyinfo.gc.ca)