EU milk output edges higher as dairies process most supply
Germany leads dairy products as non-cow milk stays regional
20 January 2026
1 minute read
By: Raw milk production on European Union farms reached an estimated 161.8 million tonnes in 2024, up 0.6% from the previous year, according to Eurostat’s Key figures on the European food chain – 2025 edition.
Of the total milk produced, 150.8 million tonnes were delivered to dairies, while farms used 11.0 million tonnes directly for family consumption, direct sales, animal feed or on-farm processing. Milk delivered to dairies came primarily from cows, which accounted for 146.5 million tonnes, with the remainder supplied by ewes, goats and buffaloes.
Dairies processed the milk into an estimated 107.5 million tonnes of products in 2024. Fresh products accounted for 21.9 million tonnes of drinking milk and 15.4 million tonnes of other fresh products. Manufactured products included 10.8 million tonnes of cheese, 5.2 million tonnes of whey, 2.7 million tonnes of milk powder, 2.3 million tonnes of butter and 1.5 million tonnes of other manufactured products.
Germany was the leading producer across several major dairy product categories. It accounted for 19% of EU drinking milk production, 27% of whey, 21% of butter and 23% of cheese in 2024. France ranked second for drinking milk at 13% and butter at 17%, while Ireland accounted for 15% of butter production. Spain held a 15% share of drinking milk output.
Milk from animals other than cows made a substantial contribution in some EU countries, particularly in Mediterranean regions. Spain accounted for 25.0% of non-cow milk deliveries to dairies, followed by Greece at 20.8%, France at 19.2% and Italy at 17.1%.
Greece delivered 731,000 tonnes of ewes’ milk to dairies in 2024, about 33% of the EU total, while Spain accounted for 622,000 tonnes, or 28%. France was the largest producer of goats’ milk at 522,000 tonnes, representing about 29% of the EU total, followed by the Netherlands at 26% and Spain at 25%. In Italy, most non-cow milk deliveries came from buffaloes and were mainly used for cheese production.
