Consumption of milk per capita in Canada 2015-2022

The consumption of milk has gradually declined in Canada in recent years – in 2022, consumption hit a new low of around 58.2 liters per capita. This is a decrease of over ten liters per capita since 2015. Around half of the volume of milk consumed per capita was milk with a two percent butterfat content, making it the most popular type of milk to drink in Canada.

Why is milk consumption decreasing?

Milk consumption is following a similar trend to red meat consumption in Canada - the intake of pork and beef have generally seen decreases in recent years. The number of vegetarians and vegans in Canada, recorded at 2.3 million and 850,000 respectively, is likely to be a reason behind the decline. The average retail price for homogenized milk has experienced only a minor increase in Canada, suggesting that price is not a cause of declining consumption.

Milk industry in Canada

Over 90 million hectoliters of milk are produced annually in Canada. As of December 2022, there were 76 milk manufacturing establishments located across Canada to support this production, with the majority located in Ontario and Quebec.