Dairy Consumption Near Historic Highs.

Happy Holidays!

What a great way to wrap up 2025! 

This week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) shared U.S. per-capita dairy consumption data for 2024. Numbers are near historic highs, and the same is predicted for 2025. 

Butter consumption hit a new record last year, while yogurt consumption showed the strongest overall growth followed by cottage cheese and regular ice cream in 2024. Cheese consumption remained unchanged from a record high the previous year.

USDA’s Economic Research Service reports that Americans consumed 651 pounds of dairy per person in 2024 on a milk-equivalent, milk-fat basis, a level that nears historic records dating back to 1975 when USDA began tracking dairy consumption trends. 

Looking at specific dairy categories: 

• 
  Butter consumption surpassed all previous records, reaching an all-time high of 6.8 pounds. 
• Total cheese consumption was unchanged at 41.9 pounds per person.
• Consumption of cottage cheese rose to 2.4 pounds, the highest level since 2009. 
• Yogurt consumption continued its impressive growth, increasing to 14.5 pounds in 2024, a 6% increase from 2023. 
• Regular ice cream consumption also grew in 2024, reaching 12 pounds per person. 
• Milk consumption saw a modest decline to 127 pounds per person. 

In the past decade alone, domestic per capita consumption of cheese (including cottage cheese) is up 13% and butter consumption is up 21%. In the past 20 years, yogurt consumption has grown 58%. Overall, USDA data show Americans’ per capita consumption of dairy is up 0.6% over the past five years, 8% over the past 15 years, and 12% over the past 30 years.

“American families continue to consume dairy foods at near record levels because dairy delivers what matters most today, flavor, affordability and complete nutrition,” said Michael Dykes, president and CEO of the International Dairy Foods Association, Washington, D.C. “Consumers are leaning into high-protein foods, gut-healthy options and simple, wholesome ingredients, and dairy meets every one of those needs. Surging sales of yogurt and cottage cheese only underscore the transformation happening for U.S. dairy. Dairy was perfectly made for this moment, and you can see that reflected in Americans consuming more of their favorite dairy year over year.”

Dairy processors are responding to this consistent surge in demand by making historic investments of more than $11 billion in new and expanded manufacturing capacity across 19 states. More than 50 projects have launched across the country, including new and modernized manufacturing plants, major facility expansions and new warehousing and logistics capacity. These investments build on the billions-of-dollars already deployed over the past decade to strengthen U.S. dairy processing.

U.S. table egg production totaled 93.1 billion in 2024, down 1% from 2023. The U.S. had 311 million commercial laying hens at the end of 2024, down 3% from 2023. On average, each laying hen produces 301 eggs per year. There's been an increase in productivity of hens as a result of improved health and disease prevention, nutrition, genetics and flock management.