Top 10 Milk Producing Countries in the World 2025: A Comprehensive Analysis
Milk is one of the world’s most important food commodities — but “2025 numbers” are not always a single, clean dataset. To keep this page honest and useful, we combine the most recent official/credible estimates (2023–2025) and clearly label what each figure represents.
Global context for 2025
Two widely used outlooks put global milk production in 2025 in a similar range, but not identical: OECD-FAO projections show about 976.7 MMT of total milk in 2025, while FAO’s Food Outlook lists a 2025 global figure of 992.7 MMT. Differences usually come from timing, coverage, and how “milk” is defined across reporting systems.
What “milk” means here: unless stated otherwise, values are expressed as raw milk equivalent (primary weight). Some country reports are “fluid milk” (market year) estimates. Where definitions differ, we flag it in the table.
Methodology (how this ranking is built)
- Primary goal: show the largest producers using the best available 2025-relevant estimates.
- Time reality: many national systems publish final totals with a lag — so “2025” often relies on 2024 estimates or 2025 projections.
- Transparency: every row includes a short data note (year/definition) so you can judge comparability.
- Important caveat: the EU is a bloc, not a country. We include it because many readers search it that way — but it overlaps with Germany/France.
Data table: Top milk producers (2025 view)
| Rank | Country / bloc | Milk (MMT) | Data note (comparability) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
India
South Asia
|
247.9 | Official national total (FY 2024–25), all milk |
| 2 |
European Union (EU-27)
Bloc (overlaps with Germany/France)
|
161.8 | Eurostat estimate for 2024 raw milk on farms (used as 2025 baseline) |
| 3 |
United States
North America
|
105.0 | USDA 2025 outlook in billion pounds converted to MMT (all milk, calendar year) |
| 4 |
Pakistan
South Asia
|
66.0 | OECD-FAO baseline for 2024 production (used as 2025 baseline; fast growth trend) |
| 5 |
China
East Asia
|
41.5 | USDA FAS Post forecast for 2025 total production (raw milk + other milk) |
| 6 |
Germany
EU member (overlaps with EU-27 row)
|
32.4 | National output for 2023 cows’ milk (latest published summary; stable/flat trend) |
| 7 |
Russia
Eurasia
|
26.3 | “Commodity/marketed milk” 2025 projection (not the same as total raw milk) |
| 8 |
Brazil
South America
|
25.5 | USDA FAS Post revised 2025 estimate (fluid milk category in the report) |
| 9 |
France
EU member (overlaps with EU-27 row)
|
23.5 | National output for 2023 cows’ milk (latest published summary; gradual consolidation) |
| 10 |
New Zealand
Oceania (export-driven)
|
21.9 | USDA FAS forecast for 2025 fluid milk (raised vs 2024 in latest circular) |
Comparability note EU-27 overlaps with Germany and France; Russia’s value here is “marketed milk” (not total raw milk). This is why the table includes clear data notes.
Production comparison chart
The chart below mirrors the table values. If the chart library doesn’t load on your site, a readable fallback list will remain visible (not an empty block).
Country snapshots (what drives production)
Quick reading tip: production scale is driven by some mix of herd size, yield per animal, feed & water availability, and processing capacity. In 2025, demand shifts, environmental rules, and farm profitability are the big constraints in many regions.
1) India remains the world’s dominant producer. The latest official total puts FY 2024–25 milk output at about 247.9 MMT, supported by a vast smallholder base and strong domestic consumption.
- Strength: massive production base + diversified animal mix.
- Pressure point: feed/water constraints and heat stress (productivity risk).
2) European Union (EU-27) is the largest producing bloc, with 161.8 MMT of raw milk estimated for 2024. Most milk is delivered to dairies and converted into cheese, butter and powders.
- Strength: high yields, dense processing network, export capability.
- Pressure point: herd limits, environmental compliance, animal health shocks.
3) United States is a high-yield, industrial-scale producer. USDA’s 2025 outlook is 231.4 billion pounds of production (≈ 105.0 MMT).
- Strength: productivity per cow, scale efficiencies, advanced logistics.
- Pressure point: margin volatility (feed costs, labor, product cycle swings).
4) Pakistan is one of the fastest-growing large producers. OECD-FAO baselines place 2024 production around 66 MMT, with growth supported by domestic demand.
- Strength: large buffalo/cattle base; milk is a staple in diets.
- Pressure point: farm structure + feed quality and cold-chain gaps.
5) China shows a 2025 story of supply pressure. USDA FAS Post forecasts 41.5 MMT total production for 2025, with herd contraction and weak demand shaping the sector.
- Strength: large modern farms, investment in processing.
- Pressure point: profitability cycle; oversupply episodes and trade friction.
6) Germany is Europe’s largest national producer (within the EU), with around 32.4 MMT cows’ milk output in 2023 — generally stable and efficiency-driven.
7) Russia has prioritized self-sufficiency and expansion of the “marketed milk” segment; industry projections put 2025 commodity milk around 26.3 MMT (not total raw milk).
8) Brazil continues a modernization path. USDA FAS revised 2025 milk production to about 25.5 MMT in the report’s fluid milk category.
9) France is a top EU producer, with around 23.5 MMT cows’ milk output in 2023. The long-term trend is fewer farms, higher productivity, and stronger value-added processing.
10) New Zealand is export-oriented, and USDA FAS raised its 2025 milk production forecast to 21.9 MMT, reflecting incentives from payout and conditions in the season.
Key trends shaping dairy in 2025
- Yield-first growth: the big producers increasingly grow via productivity (genetics, herd management, automation) rather than herd expansion.
- Profitability cycles matter: weak prices can trigger herd contraction (visible in China’s 2025 outlook).
- Regulatory pressure: environmental rules and animal health controls shape output in many high-income regions.
- Trade and geopolitics: tariffs and import policies can quickly reshape dairy product flows (especially cheese and powders).
Why dairy still matters
Dairy remains a major pillar of food security and nutrition — but in 2025, leading producers are increasingly balancing output with environmental limits, farm profitability, and consumer demand shifts.— Synthesized from OECD-FAO & FAO outlook framing
FAQ
What’s the difference between “raw milk”, “fluid milk”, and “milk equivalent”?
Raw milk is milk produced on farms. Fluid milk is often a reporting category used in outlooks (typically raw milk for processing/consumption, sometimes market-year based). Milk equivalent converts products like cheese or milk powder back into the amount of milk required to produce them.
Why is the EU listed if it’s not a country?
Many global dairy outlooks publish EU totals because the bloc functions as a single market for milk collection, processing, and trade. We include it as a reference, but it overlaps with member countries such as Germany and France.
Why do global totals differ between OECD-FAO and FAO?
Totals can differ because of reporting calendars, coverage, revisions, and how “milk” is aggregated across species and reporting systems. For 2025, both sources are broadly consistent on direction (continued growth), but not identical in the headline figure.
Is plant-based demand reducing milk production?
In some high-income markets, per-capita fluid milk consumption has softened, but production is also driven by exports and manufactured products (cheese, powders, butter). Net impact depends on the country’s product mix and trade position.
Which risks can change this ranking fastest?
The fastest movers are: animal disease, feed shocks, drought/heat stress, and price collapses that accelerate herd exits. Policy shifts (environment, tariffs) can also re-route production incentives.
Sources
- OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2025–2034 (Statistical Annex, dairy tables)
- FAO Food Outlook (global dairy/milk production outlook & totals)
- Government of India (PIB) — BAHS 2025 press release (FY 2024–25 milk output)
- Eurostat — EU raw milk production estimate (2024)
- USDA ERS — Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Outlook (2025 milk production outlook)
- USDA FAS GAIN — China Dairy & Products Semi-annual (2025 production table)
- USDA FAS GAIN — Brazil Dairy & Products Annual (2025 revised estimate)
- USDA FAS — Dairy: World Markets and Trade (NZ 2025 production forecast)
- Destatis — Germany & France cows’ milk output summary (2023)
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