Leading producers of cow milk worldwide 2024, by country

The leading producer of cow milk worldwide was the European Union in 2024. In that year, the 27 countries of the European Union collectively produced over 144 million metric tons of cow milk. The United States was ranked second with a production volume of around 104 million metric tons. 

International dairy trade

The export value of dairy product worldwide reached about 66 billion U.S. dollars in 2023, down from around 70.6 billion U.S. dollars in the previous year. As the top producer of cow milk worldwide, the European Union also was the top exporter of dairy products.

Leading dairy processors

The Dairy Farmers of America, based in the United States, is one of the biggest players in the global dairy market, with sales reaching around 23 billion U.S. dollars in 2023. Land O'Lakes Inc. ranked in second place with sales of around 16.8 billion U.S. dollars.