Nils-Gerrit Wunsch
Research expert covering foods trends in North America, Europe, and the global food system
Plant-based milk and dairy alternatives in Europe - statistics & facts
Milk substitutes are the silent king among plant-based products in Europe. While a lot of attention is focused on meat substitutes, the market value of plant-based milk alternatives in the European Union is roughly one billion euros larger than the market value of plant-based burger patties, sausages, lunch meats, and Co. In 2023, the milk substitute market in the EU-27 was worth almost three billion U.S. dollars. Germany and Spain are the leading national markets by revenue in the EU. With a milk substitutes market size of 600 million U.S. dollars, the United Kingdom generates a slightly higher revenue with milk alternatives than Spain, but significantly less than Germany.
European consumers of plant-based dairy
Consumers have a variety of reasons not to drink milk. For instance, 18 percent of consumers in Sweden follow a lactose-free diet. Furthermore, in most European countries, about one to three percent of consumers follow a vegan diet. However, milk substitutes on a plant basis are not only consumed by these two groups who avoid regular dairy products. Consumers who try to reduce their consumption of animal products are also avid consumers of dairy alternatives. Over a third of flexitarians in Europe consume plant-based milk.Consumption of milk and dairy alternatives
The per capita consumption of plant-based milk in EU-27 member states has nearly doubled within the last five years. On average, three one-liter packs of plant-based milk were consumed in 2023 per capita. By 2028, the consumption level of Europeans is forecast to reach more than five one-liter packs per capita. The price of milk substitutes per unit in the EU-27 has increased by almost 15 percent since 2018. Milk substitutes now cost about 2.21 U.S. dollars per unit. Besides plant-based milk, plant-based yogurt and cheese are also a frequently consumed dairy alternative in Europe.
