Cow milk production by country
World production of cow milk reached 797 million t in 2024, up 22% over ten years. The largest producers were India (16.9%), United States (12.9%), China (5.1%), together 35% of the world total.
- World production, 2024
- 797 million t
- 10-year change
- +22%
- Producing countries
- 183
- Largest producer
- India
World production, 1961–2024 (tonnes)
Map of cow milk production, 2024
Share of the world total. Small island states are not drawn at this scale.
Producers ranked, 2024
| # | Country | Tonnes | Share | 10-year change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | India E | 135,000,000 | 16.9% | +103% |
| 2 | United States | 102,452,123 | 12.9% | +9.6% |
| 3 | China | 40,790,000 | 5.12% | +29% |
| 4 | Brazil | 36,816,178 | 4.62% | +1.8% |
| 5 | Germany | 33,777,780 | 4.24% | +4.3% |
| 6 | Russia E | 32,792,113 | 4.11% | +7.5% |
| 7 | Pakistan | 24,794,050 | 3.11% | +38% |
| 8 | France | 24,204,280 | 3.04% | −3.1% |
| 9 | New Zealand | 21,531,000 | 2.70% | +1.0% |
| 10 | Turkey | 21,040,442 | 2.64% | +24% |
| 11 | Poland | 16,039,610 | 2.01% | +24% |
| 12 | United Kingdom | 15,939,048 | 2.00% | +5.9% |
| 13 | Netherlands | 14,348,210 | 1.80% | +15% |
| 14 | Mexico | 13,962,372 | 1.75% | +22% |
| 15 | Bangladesh E | 13,539,600 | 1.70% | +147% |
| 16 | Italy | 13,185,340 | 1.65% | +19% |
| 17 | Uzbekistan | 12,422,116 | 1.56% | +48% |
| 18 | Argentina | 10,908,039 | 1.37% | −3.8% |
| 19 | Canada | 9,960,207 | 1.25% | +23% |
| 20 | Belarus | 8,751,000 | 1.10% | +31% |
| 21 | Australia | 8,669,500 | 1.09% | −9.1% |
| 22 | Colombia | 7,943,000 | 1.00% | +16% |
| 23 | Iran E | 7,702,777 | 0.97% | −5.0% |
| 24 | Spain | 7,576,060 | 0.95% | +12% |
| 25 | Japan | 7,357,451 | 0.92% | +0.3% |
| 26 | Ukraine | 7,089,100 | 0.89% | −35% |
| 27 | Denmark | 5,690,000 | 0.71% | +9.6% |
| 28 | Kenya | 5,494,844 | 0.69% | +60% |
| 29 | Egypt E | 4,815,333 | 0.60% | +89% |
| 30 | Belgium | 4,597,000 | 0.58% | +25% |
| 31 | Tanzania | 4,130,285 | 0.52% | +101% |
| 32 | Austria | 4,020,700 | 0.50% | +15% |
| 33 | South Africa | 3,883,000 | 0.49% | +16% |
| 34 | Uganda E | 3,850,000 | 0.48% | +141% |
| 35 | Romania | 3,724,100 | 0.47% | −9.8% |
| 36 | Switzerland | 3,703,021 | 0.46% | −8.9% |
| 37 | Kazakhstan | 3,577,376 | 0.45% | +43% |
| 38 | Czechia | 3,553,870 | 0.45% | +21% |
| 39 | Ethiopia I | 3,443,913 | 0.43% | +3.1% |
| 40 | Venezuela E | 3,307,778 | 0.41% | +60% |
| 41 | Saudi Arabia E | 2,958,843 | 0.37% | +41% |
| 42 | Sudan I | 2,956,068 | 0.37% | +5.1% |
| 43 | South Sudan I | 2,899,262 | 0.36% | +11% |
| 44 | Sweden | 2,799,910 | 0.35% | −5.8% |
| 45 | Turkmenistan | 2,652,448 | 0.33% | +26% |
| 46 | Algeria E | 2,420,851 | 0.30% | −14% |
| 47 | Chile | 2,300,034 | 0.29% | +3.9% |
| 48 | Uruguay E | 2,268,781 | 0.28% | −1.3% |
| 49 | Peru | 2,228,889 | 0.28% | +21% |
| 50 | Azerbaijan E | 2,222,195 | 0.28% | +22% |
| 51 | Finland | 2,209,220 | 0.28% | −7.9% |
| 52 | Hungary | 2,093,690 | 0.26% | +12% |
| 53 | Ecuador E | 1,964,000 | 0.25% | −4.9% |
| 54 | Portugal | 1,943,320 | 0.24% | +0.0% |
| 55 | Afghanistan I | 1,928,136 | 0.24% | −8.2% |
| 56 | Myanmar E | 1,900,000 | 0.24% | −2.6% |
| 57 | Morocco | 1,854,000 | 0.23% | −25% |
| 58 | Kyrgyzstan | 1,823,796 | 0.23% | +29% |
| 59 | South Korea I | 1,766,401 | 0.22% | −20% |
| 60 | Israel | 1,647,010 | 0.21% | +8.4% |
| 61 | Lithuania | 1,526,130 | 0.19% | −15% |
| 62 | Norway | 1,467,500 | 0.18% | −6.0% |
| 63 | Tunisia E | 1,389,815 | 0.17% | +17% |
| 64 | Serbia | 1,349,699 | 0.17% | −12% |
| 65 | Nepal | 1,281,718 | 0.16% | +141% |
| 66 | Vietnam | 1,276,872 | 0.16% | +126% |
| 67 | Costa Rica | 1,268,230 | 0.16% | +18% |
| 68 | Thailand E | 1,265,444 | 0.16% | +19% |
| 69 | Syria | 1,199,625 | 0.15% | −19% |
| 70 | Tajikistan | 1,177,381 | 0.15% | +38% |
| 71 | Niger | 979,188 | 0.12% | +95% |
| 72 | Latvia | 959,860 | 0.12% | −0.9% |
| 73 | Estonia | 940,600 | 0.12% | +17% |
| 74 | Slovakia | 916,860 | 0.11% | −1.8% |
| 75 | Dominican Republic | 892,257 | 0.11% | +40% |
| 76 | Indonesia | 808,353 | 0.10% | +0.9% |
| 77 | Albania | 744,693 | 0.09% | −25% |
| 78 | Bulgaria | 708,210 | 0.09% | −36% |
| 79 | Honduras I | 695,611 | 0.09% | +4.0% |
| 80 | Greece | 651,950 | 0.08% | −10% |
| 81 | Slovenia | 608,940 | 0.08% | −1.2% |
| 82 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 600,487 | 0.08% | −12% |
| 83 | Georgia | 582,687 | 0.07% | −2.3% |
| 84 | Bolivia | 582,164 | 0.07% | +3.8% |
| 85 | Paraguay E | 559,000 | 0.07% | +6.5% |
| 86 | Armenia | 542,000 | 0.07% | −15% |
| 87 | Guatemala I | 540,070 | 0.07% | +7.4% |
| 88 | Nigeria I | 527,765 | 0.07% | −9.8% |
| 89 | Zambia I | 525,394 | 0.07% | +26% |
| 90 | Luxembourg | 482,940 | 0.06% | +52% |
| 91 | Taiwan X | 470,000 | 0.06% | +29% |
| 92 | Croatia | 468,000 | 0.06% | −34% |
| 93 | Somalia I | 457,556 | 0.06% | −6.6% |
| 94 | Zimbabwe I | 442,748 | 0.06% | +5.4% |
| 95 | Sri Lanka | 430,002 | 0.05% | +118% |
| 96 | El Salvador E | 419,177 | 0.05% | −17% |
| 97 | Madagascar I | 415,933 | 0.05% | −23% |
| 98 | Jordan | 387,142 | 0.05% | +56% |
| 99 | Cyprus | 325,390 | 0.04% | +98% |
| 100 | Mali | 306,777 | 0.04% | +7.8% |
| 101 | North Macedonia | 282,317 | 0.04% | −29% |
| 102 | Chad I | 271,976 | 0.03% | +36% |
| 103 | Yemen I | 256,737 | 0.03% | +9.2% |
| 104 | Oman | 241,210 | 0.03% | +167% |
| 105 | Moldova | 232,873 | 0.03% | −48% |
| 106 | Iraq E | 232,702 | 0.03% | +16% |
| 107 | Cuba E | 231,000 | 0.03% | −61% |
| 108 | Guinea E | 230,000 | 0.03% | +33% |
| 109 | Burkina Faso E | 225,266 | 0.03% | +13% |
| 110 | Angola I | 221,864 | 0.03% | +17% |
| 111 | Puerto Rico I | 221,013 | 0.03% | −9.8% |
| 112 | Senegal E | 220,000 | 0.03% | +13% |
| 113 | Lebanon E | 212,013 | 0.03% | −38% |
| 114 | Cameroon E | 210,321 | 0.03% | +9.1% |
| 115 | Mongolia | 191,760 | 0.02% | −29% |
| 116 | Rwanda I | 190,796 | 0.02% | +28% |
| 117 | Lesotho E | 182,000 | 0.02% | −4.3% |
| 118 | Panama | 168,490 | 0.02% | −22% |
| 119 | Iceland | 158,139 | 0.02% | +18% |
| 120 | Sierra Leone I | 153,285 | 0.02% | −8.1% |
| 121 | Montenegro | 151,860 | 0.02% | −17% |
| 122 | Mauritania I | 150,883 | 0.02% | −2.0% |
| 123 | Benin | 149,567 | 0.02% | +36% |
| 124 | Libya I | 141,084 | 0.02% | +3.7% |
| 125 | Eritrea E | 120,000 | 0.02% | +5.7% |
| 126 | Namibia I | 111,002 | 0.01% | +1.0% |
| 127 | North Korea I | 84,169 | 0.01% | +1.2% |
| 128 | Central African Republic I | 83,107 | 0.01% | +7.4% |
| 129 | Malawi I | 71,318 | 0.01% | +10% |
| 130 | United Arab Emirates E | 56,407 | 0.01% | +40% |
| 131 | Gambia I | 52,822 | 0.01% | −32% |
| 132 | Kuwait I | 52,680 | 0.01% | −10% |
| 133 | Ghana I | 51,478 | 0.01% | +24% |
| 134 | Haiti I | 47,232 | 0.01% | +2.8% |
| 135 | Bhutan | 44,038 | 0.01% | +27% |
| 136 | Malaysia | 42,383 | 0.01% | −44% |
| 137 | Eswatini I | 42,309 | 0.01% | +6.0% |
| 138 | Burundi E | 40,562 | 0.01% | −33% |
| 139 | Côte d'Ivoire | 38,872 | 0.00% | +17% |
| 140 | Malta | 38,160 | 0.00% | −11% |
| 141 | Philippines | 33,970 | 0.00% | +67% |
| 142 | Botswana E | 25,704 | 0.00% | −15% |
| 143 | Cambodia I | 24,320 | 0.00% | −1.1% |
| 144 | Guyana | 21,089 | 0.00% | −11% |
| 145 | Guinea-Bissau I | 18,099 | 0.00% | +6.5% |
| 146 | Comoros I | 13,118 | 0.00% | −0.5% |
| 147 | Togo I | 12,841 | 0.00% | +16% |
| 148 | Fiji | 12,153 | 0.00% | −27% |
| 149 | Gabon I | 10,735 | 0.00% | −23% |
| 150 | Bahrain I | 10,538 | 0.00% | −28% |
| 151 | DR Congo I | 10,374 | 0.00% | +5.9% |
| 152 | Jamaica | 9,792 | 0.00% | −24% |
| 153 | Laos I | 9,307 | 0.00% | +27% |
| 154 | Djibouti I | 9,195 | 0.00% | −3.2% |
| 155 | Liberia I | 8,368 | 0.00% | −7.2% |
| 156 | Qatar E | 7,500 | 0.00% | 0.0% |
| 157 | Faroe Islands | 7,243 | 0.00% | −1.0% |
| 158 | Dominica I | 6,997 | 0.00% | +0.4% |
| 159 | Belize | 5,186 | 0.00% | +11% |
| 160 | Cabo Verde | 4,612 | 0.00% | +18% |
| 161 | Congo I | 4,466 | 0.00% | +12% |
| 162 | Barbados E | 4,166 | 0.00% | −16% |
| 163 | Antigua and Barbuda I | 3,102 | 0.00% | +0.1% |
| 164 | Vanuatu E | 3,100 | 0.00% | −5.5% |
| 165 | Solomon Islands I | 3,072 | 0.00% | −0.2% |
| 166 | Mozambique | 3,063 | 0.00% | +31% |
| 167 | Mauritius | 2,841 | 0.00% | −43% |
| 168 | Suriname E | 2,709 | 0.00% | −50% |
| 169 | Trinidad and Tobago | 1,720 | 0.00% | −56% |
| 170 | Samoa I | 1,579 | 0.00% | −13% |
| 171 | Saint Lucia I | 1,031 | 0.00% | −1.2% |
| 172 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines I | 824 | 0.00% | −20% |
| 173 | Bahamas I | 684 | 0.00% | −8.4% |
| 174 | French Polynesia E | 649 | 0.00% | −37% |
| 175 | Grenada I | 617 | 0.00% | +11% |
| 176 | Sao Tome and Principe I | 594 | 0.00% | +19% |
| 177 | New Caledonia E | 344 | 0.00% | −4.7% |
| 178 | Tonga I | 326 | 0.00% | −22% |
| 179 | Papua New Guinea I | 164 | 0.00% | −6.3% |
| 180 | Seychelles I | 162 | 0.00% | +80% |
| 181 | Hong Kong E | 60 | 0.00% | 0.0% |
| 182 | Niue I | 59 | 0.00% | +1.7% |
| 183 | Brunei I | 40 | 0.00% | 0.0% |
E = estimated by FAO, I = imputed by FAO, X = from an external organisation; other figures are official.
How concentrated is production?
The largest producer, India, accounts for 16.9% of the world total in 2024; the five largest for 43.8% and the ten largest for 59.4%.
| Year | Top 5 share | Top 10 share | Countries with data |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 39.3% | 54.0% | 185 |
| 2005 | 38.0% | 54.8% | 185 |
| 2010 | 39.6% | 56.2% | 183 |
| 2015 | 40.2% | 57.0% | 186 |
| 2020 | 41.9% | 58.2% | 186 |
| 2024 | 43.8% | 59.4% | 183 |
By continent, 2024
| Continent | Production | Share of world | Share in 2014 | 10-year change | Countries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asia | 294 million t | 36.9% | 28.9% | +56% | 46 |
| Europe | 220 million t | 27.6% | 33.0% | +1.9% | 39 |
| North and Central America | 131 million t | 16.4% | 18.1% | +10% | 22 |
| South America | 68.9 million t | 8.6% | 10.1% | +4.4% | 12 |
| Africa | 43.9 million t | 5.5% | 5.2% | +28% | 53 |
| Oceania | 30.2 million t | 3.8% | 4.7% | −2.2% | 11 |
Sums of country figures; the world total also includes countries without a continent assignment, so shares may not add up to 100%.
Fastest growing and declining producers, 2014–2024
Countries with at least 0.5% of world production in 2024, change over ten years.
Long-term trend, 1961–2024
- Average growth per year, 1961–2024
- +1.5%
- Average growth per year, last 10 years
- +2.0%
- Record year
- 2024 797 million t
- Largest yearly fall
- 1991 −2.3%
| Decade | Average per year | vs previous decade |
|---|---|---|
| 1960s (1961–1969) | 333 million t | — |
| 1970s | 387 million t | +16% |
| 1980s | 451 million t | +17% |
| 1990s | 467 million t | +3.6% |
| 2000s | 538 million t | +15% |
| 2010s | 658 million t | +22% |
| 2020s (2020–2024) | 773 million t | +18% |
Production per person, 2024
World production of cow milk was 97.7 kg per person in 2024. The highest figures, among countries with at least 1 million inhabitants:
| # | Country | kg per person | Production |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Zealand | 4,130 | 21.5 million t |
| 2 | Belarus | 966 | 8.8 million t |
| 3 | Denmark | 952 | 5.7 million t |
| 4 | Netherlands | 787 | 14.3 million t |
| 5 | Estonia | 691 | 940,600 t |
| 6 | Uruguay | 670 | 2.3 million t |
| 7 | Lithuania | 534 | 1.5 million t |
| 8 | Latvia | 513 | 959,860 t |
| 9 | Austria | 441 | 4.0 million t |
| 10 | Poland | 416 | 16.0 million t |
Production divided by population (FAOSTAT population estimates, 2024). Production per person is not consumption: countries export, import and use crops for feed, processing and industry.
International trade, 2024
Trade item: Raw milk of cattle. Other forms of this product (for example frozen, boneless, shelled, dried or processed) are separate FAO trade items that are not included here, so these figures cover only part of its trade.
- World exports
- 10.6 million t
- Export value
- USD 6.88 bn
- Average export price
- 0.65 USD/kg
Germany was the largest exporter with 15.4% of the quantity reported by exporting countries; Germany was the largest importer with 26.5%. World exports grew 9.0% over ten years.
World exports, 2000–2024 (tonnes)
Largest exporters
| # | Country | Tonnes | Share | Value | USD/kg | 10-year change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germany | 1,625,080 | 15.4% | USD 1.02 bn | 0.63 | −18% |
| 2 | Czechia | 985,727 | 9.3% | USD 538 m | 0.55 | +33% |
| 3 | Belgium | 955,085 | 9.0% | USD 579 m | 0.61 | +52% |
| 4 | Poland | 776,896 | 7.3% | USD 521 m | 0.67 | +179% |
| 5 | United Kingdom | 738,643 | 7.0% | USD 387 m | 0.52 | +23% |
| 6 | Netherlands | 664,387 | 6.3% | USD 457 m | 0.69 | +75% |
| 7 | Austria | 511,486 | 4.8% | USD 358 m | 0.70 | −13% |
| 8 | France | 480,536 | 4.5% | USD 326 m | 0.68 | −36% |
| 9 | Latvia | 419,036 | 4.0% | USD 199 m | 0.47 | +51% |
| 10 | Hungary | 384,265 | 3.6% | USD 208 m | 0.54 | +8.5% |
Largest importers
| # | Country | Tonnes | Share | Value | USD/kg | 10-year change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germany | 2,902,603 | 26.5% | USD 1.59 bn | 0.55 | +73% |
| 2 | Netherlands | 1,175,862 | 10.7% | USD 688 m | 0.59 | +214% |
| 3 | Belgium | 964,829 | 8.8% | USD 546 m | 0.57 | −5.7% |
| 4 | Italy | 815,956 | 7.5% | USD 477 m | 0.58 | −51% |
| 5 | Ireland | 725,254 | 6.6% | USD 384 m | 0.53 | +39% |
| 6 | Lithuania | 500,739 | 4.6% | USD 253 m | 0.51 | +16% |
| 7 | China | 358,926 | 3.3% | USD 376 m | 1.05 | +38% |
| 8 | Croatia | 232,104 | 2.1% | USD 159 m | 0.69 | +90% |
| 9 | Romania | 216,516 | 2.0% | USD 139 m | 0.64 | +98% |
| 10 | United Kingdom | 208,063 | 1.9% | USD 115 m | 0.55 | +40% |
FAOSTAT detailed trade data (Crops and livestock products trade, release of 23 July 2026): quantities in tonnes and values in current US dollars as reported by countries; exports include re-exports. Shares are of the total reported by all exporting or importing countries. World exports and imports do not match because of timing, valuation (exports FOB, imports CIF) and gaps in reporting. Processed products such as juices, dried or canned goods are separate items.
Milk prices on wholesale markets
- Markets quoting
- 36
- Median price
- 0.51 EUR/kg
- Middle half of quotes
- 0.46–0.66 EUR/kg
- Latest quote
- 10 November 2026
Prices in producing countries
| Rank | Producer | Production, 2024 | Markets | Median price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Germany | 33.8 million t | 2 | 1.14 EUR/kg |
| 8 | France | 24.2 million t | 1 | 0.51 EUR/kg |
| 11 | Poland | 16.0 million t | 4 | 0.58 EUR/kg |
| 13 | Netherlands | 14.3 million t | 1 | 0.56 EUR/kg |
| 16 | Italy | 13.2 million t | 2 | 0.48 EUR/kg |
| 24 | Spain | 7.6 million t | 1 | 0.53 EUR/kg |
| 30 | Belgium | 4.6 million t | 1 | 0.52 EUR/kg |
| 38 | Czechia | 3.6 million t | 1 | 0.49 EUR/kg |
| 52 | Hungary | 2.1 million t | 1 | 0.47 EUR/kg |
| 74 | Slovakia | 916,860 t | 2 | 0.47 EUR/kg |
| 78 | Bulgaria | 708,210 t | 1 | 0.56 EUR/kg |
| 80 | Greece | 651,950 t | 1 | 0.58 EUR/kg |
Median of the midpoints of 72 current quotes converted to EUR per kg at the reference rates used on Husfarm. Markets quote different varieties, grades, origins and trade stages, so prices are not directly comparable between countries.
Questions and answers
Which country produces the most cow milk?
India was the largest producer in 2024 with 135 million t, 16.9% of the world total, according to FAOSTAT.
What is the world production of cow milk?
World production was 797 million t in 2024, +22% compared with 2014.
Which countries produce the most cow milk?
In 2024: India (135 million t, 16.9%), United States (102 million t, 12.9%), China (40.8 million t, 5.1%), Brazil (36.8 million t, 4.6%), Germany (33.8 million t, 4.2%). Together they account for 43.8% of the world total.
What is the wholesale price of cow milk today?
The median of 72 current quotes on 36 markets tracked by Husfarm is 0.51 EUR/kg (latest quote 10 November 2026). Prices vary widely by variety, grade, origin and market.
Which country exports the most raw milk of cattle?
Germany exported 1.6 million t in 2024, 15.4% of reported world exports, worth USD 1.02 bn, according to FAOSTAT trade data.
Which country imports the most raw milk of cattle?
Germany imported 2.9 million t in 2024, 26.5% of reported world imports.
Where does this data come from?
Production and area figures are from FAOSTAT, the statistics database of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (dataset Crops and livestock products, release of 23 December 2025). Shares, rankings, changes and averages are calculated by Husfarm.
Related products
About the data
- Figures are production in tonnes as reported to or estimated by FAO for each calendar year; the latest year is 2024.
- Letters next to a country mark figures that are not official national data: E estimated by FAO, I imputed by FAO (filled in by a statistical model), X taken from an external organisation. Treat them as approximate.
- Shares are relative to the FAO world total; ten-year changes compare 2024 with 2014; average growth per year is the compound annual rate between the two years.
- Country series on Husfarm start in 2000; the world series starts in 1961.
Download CSV All countries and years: production and FAO flag.
How to cite: FAO (2025). FAOSTAT: Crops and livestock products — Cow milk. Retrieved via Husfarm, https://husfarm.com/production/cow-milk/. Licence CC BY 4.0.
Source: FAO. 2025. FAOSTAT: Crops and livestock products. Accessed on 4 November 2026. fao.org/faostat. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Charts, rankings and changes calculated by Husfarm.