with a production volume of over 15.5 million metric tons in 2023. The
has gradually decreased in recent years, reaching the lowest figure in 2023 since 2013. The average milk yield per cow has correspondingly increased and may be one reason behind decreasing cow numbers. In the most recent year, the
was over 8,100 liters per year. Of the
, the largest amount was manufactured and sold as semi-skimmed milk in Great Britain.
Milk market overview
Milk production in the UK has fluctuated in recent years but generally increased to reach around 14.9 billion liters in 2023/24. Production numbers in recent years have been much higher than in the early 2000s and 2010s. This should position the industry well to address increasing demand. However, the UK remains a net
importer of dairy, since
exports are around half the size of imports. The
value of milk produced in 2023 was worth around six billion British pounds. The
average household in the UK spends about 1.9 British pounds on milk per week. Skimmed milk is one of the most popular varieties in the UK. Of the total amount spent, the
vast majority was spent on semi-skimmed milk.
The rise of alternatives
The market for meat and dairy alternatives is booming around the world, with the UK as no exception. The
revenue of the milk substitutes market in the UK is forecast to grow continuously in years to come to reach over 850 million British pounds by 2029. The
higher average price of plant-based milk alternatives is clearly not putting consumers off trying the animal-free products. On average, one liter of semi-skimmed dairy milk cost 79 pence in 2024, while plant-based alternatives cost almost double at 1.41 British pounds per liter.
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Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date
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