Frozen desserts industry in the U.S. - statistics & facts

Customers may be buying less but they're willing to spend more when they choose to treat themselves to frozen desserts. Consumption is in decline but revenue of mainstay categories like ice cream continues to grow. Despite the growing trend of shoppers considering health a priority in their purchasing decisions, they haven’t abandoned their appreciation for an occasional frozen treat.

Frozen dessert brands

When it comes to brand sales in ice cream, the perennial frozen dessert favorite, Ben & Jerry’s is the clear winner with consumers. In 2023, the brand had sales of nearly 951 million U.S. dollars. This represented a 150 million dollar lead over second place Häagen-Dazs. All segments of the ice cream market saw growth in 2023 except frozen yogurt which suggests consumers are less interested in healthy choices, or the perception of healthy choices in this category. In terms of brands in frozen novelties, such as ice cream bars and popsicles, one brand again dominated the category. In this case it was Nestlé with over 1.1 billion U.S. dollars in sales, double that of its next closest competitor, Outshine.

Consumers are buying less ice cream

Per capita consumption across frozen dessert segments has been in decline or stagnation for some time. Per capita sherbet consumption has fallen by fifty-percent since its peak in 2007. Regular ice cream has faired better, but only by remaining stable for about the last decade. There hasn't been any growth in per capita consumption but it's not all doom and gloom. Annual spending on ice cream and related products continues to rise, reaching a new peak of 74.79 U.S. dollars in 2022.

What's in store for frozen desserts?

Consumers are increasingly concerned about the health impacts of their food and this trend may continue to reduce consumption in indulgent categories like frozen desserts. When people do treat themselves to something outside their normal diet goals, they tend to prioritize flavor rather than healthy alternatives, for instance when choosing ice cream. This doesn't mean that health-conscious labels need be abandoned. In fact, they may contribute to the premium experience that consumers want when making their choice, but flavor likely comes first. Frozen dessert brands are increasingly competing for a smaller pool of shoppers. To stay relevant they'll need to differentiate themselves on the quality that buyers seek when looking for a dessert.

This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.

Ice cream sales in the U.S.: 7.9bn USD

Overall ice cream dollar sales growth in the U.S.: 5%

Leading ice cream brand by sales value in the U.S.: Ben & Jerry's

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Current statistics on this topic

The leading ice cream brands of the United States in 2023, based on sales (in million U.S. dollars)

Food & Nutrition

Sales of the leading ice cream brands of the U.S. 2023

Per capita consumption of regular ice cream in the United States from 2000 to 2022 (in pounds)*

Milk & Dairy Products

Per capita consumption of ice cream in the U.S. 2000-2022

Quantity of ice cream produced in the United States from 2004 to 2023, by fat content (in million gallons)

Milk & Dairy Products

Ice cream production in the U.S. 2004-2023, by fat content

Overview

Premium Statistic 'Revenue' in the 'Ice Cream' segment of the food market United States 2019-2029
'Revenue' in the 'Ice Cream' segment of the food market United States 2019-2029
'Revenue' in the 'Ice Cream' segment of the food market United States from 2019 to 2029 (in billion U.S. dollars)
Premium Statistic U.S.: dollar sales growth of ice cream 2023 by type
U.S.: dollar sales growth of ice cream 2023 by type
Dollar sales growth of ice cream in the U.S. in 2023, by type
Premium Statistic U.S. retail price of ice cream 1995-2023
U.S. retail price of ice cream 1995-2023
Retail price of ice cream (prepack, bulk, regular) in the United States from 1995 to 2023 (in U.S. dollars per 1/2 gallon)
Premium Statistic Ice cream production in the U.S. 2004-2023, by fat content
Ice cream production in the U.S. 2004-2023, by fat content
Quantity of ice cream produced in the United States from 2004 to 2023, by fat content (in million gallons)
Basic Statistic Frozen yogurt production in the U.S. 2006-2023
Frozen yogurt production in the U.S. 2006-2023
Quantity of frozen yogurt produced in the United States from 2006 to 2023 (in million gallons)
Basic Statistic Sherbet production in the U.S. 2006-2023
Sherbet production in the U.S. 2006-2023
Quantity of sherbet produced in the United States from 2006 to 2023 (in million gallons)
Premium Statistic Frozen food market: sales in the U.S. 2024, by product category
Frozen food market: sales in the U.S. 2024, by product category
Frozen food sales in the United States in 2024, by product category (in million U.S. dollars)

Leading brands

Premium Statistic Sales of the leading ice cream brands of the U.S. 2023
Sales of the leading ice cream brands of the U.S. 2023
The leading ice cream brands of the United States in 2023, based on sales (in million U.S. dollars)
Premium Statistic Unit sales of the leading ice cream brands in the U.S. 2023
Unit sales of the leading ice cream brands in the U.S. 2023
Unit sales of the leading ice cream brands in the United States in 2023 (in millions)
Premium Statistic Brand loyalty among ice cream consumers in the U.S. 2023
Brand loyalty among ice cream consumers in the U.S. 2023
Brand loyalty of ice cream consumers in the United States in 2023
Premium Statistic Sales of the leading frozen novelty brands in the U.S. 2023
Sales of the leading frozen novelty brands in the U.S. 2023
Sales of the leading frozen novelty brands in the United States in 2023, based on sales (in million U.S. dollars)
Premium Statistic Leading frozen novelty brands: dollar sales growth in the U.S. 2023
Leading frozen novelty brands: dollar sales growth in the U.S. 2023
Dollar sales growth of the leading frozen novelty brands in the United States in 2023
Premium Statistic U.S. dollar sales of the leading frozen pie vendors 2023
U.S. dollar sales of the leading frozen pie vendors 2023
Dollar sales of the leading frozen pie vendors in the United States in 2023 (in million U.S. dollars)
Premium Statistic U.S. unit sales of the leading frozen pie vendors 2023
U.S. unit sales of the leading frozen pie vendors 2023
Unit sales of the leading frozen pie vendors in the United States in 2023 (in 1,000s)

Consumption figures

Premium Statistic U.S. household expenditure on ice cream and related products 2007-2023
U.S. household expenditure on ice cream and related products 2007-2023
Average annual expenditure on ice cream and related products per consumer unit in the United States from 2007 to 2023 (in U.S. dollars)*
Premium Statistic Per capita consumption of frozen dairy products in the U.S. 2000-2022
Per capita consumption of frozen dairy products in the U.S. 2000-2022
Per capita consumption of frozen dairy products in the United States from 2000 to 2022 (in pounds)
Premium Statistic U.S. annual ice cream consumption 2023, by fat content
U.S. annual ice cream consumption 2023, by fat content
Annual domestic consumption of ice cream in United States in 2023, by fat content (in million pounds)
Premium Statistic Per capita consumption of ice cream in the U.S. 2000-2022
Per capita consumption of ice cream in the U.S. 2000-2022
Per capita consumption of regular ice cream in the United States from 2000 to 2022 (in pounds)*
Basic Statistic U.S. per capita consumption of low-fat ice cream 2000 to 2022
U.S. per capita consumption of low-fat ice cream 2000 to 2022
Per capita consumption of low-fat ice cream in the United States from 2000 to 2022 (in pounds)
Basic Statistic U.S. per capita consumption of frozen yogurt 2000-2022
U.S. per capita consumption of frozen yogurt 2000-2022
Per capita consumption of frozen yogurt in the United States from 2000 to 2022 (in pounds)
Basic Statistic Per capita consumption of sherbet in the U.S. 2000-2022
Per capita consumption of sherbet in the U.S. 2000-2022
Per capita consumption of sherbet in the United States from 2000 to 2022 (in pounds)

Ice cream sales in the U.S.: 7.9bn USD

Overall ice cream dollar sales growth in the U.S.: 5%

Leading ice cream brand by sales value in the U.S.: Ben & Jerry's

Key figures

The most important key figures provide you with a compact summary of the topic of "Frozen desserts industry in the U.S." and take you straight to the corresponding statistics.

Quantity of regular ice cream produced in the U.S.
848m US gal
Detailed statistics
Ice cream production in the U.S. 2004-2023, by fat content
Quantity of frozen yoghurt produced in the U.S.
42.4m US gal
Detailed statistics
Frozen yogurt production in the U.S. 2006-2023
Quantity of sherbet produced in the U.S.
32.7m US gal
Detailed statistics
Sherbet production in the U.S. 2006-2023

Per capita consumption of frozen dairy products in the U.S.
22.2lb
Detailed statistics
Per capita consumption of frozen dairy products in the U.S. 2000-2022
Per capita consumption of ice cream in the U.S.
12.7 lb
Detailed statistics
Per capita consumption of ice cream in the U.S. 2000-2022
Per capita consumption of frozen yogurt in the U.S.
0.9lb
Detailed statistics
U.S. per capita consumption of frozen yogurt 2000-2022