– Cheese Production refers to the total quantity of cheese produced within a country during a specified period, measured in tonnes.
Canada Cheese Production was 599.9 Thousand Tonnes in 2023, down 0.2% on 2022. The Canada Cheese Production dataset provides a comprehensive assessment of the country's cheese manufacturing performance and the evolution of its dairy processing industry between 2015 and 2023.
Canada Cheese Production moved from 517.9 Thousand Tonnes in 2015 to 599.9 Thousand Tonnes in 2023 (+15.8%), an average of +1.9% a year. The series high was 604.3 Thousand Tonnes in 2020 and the low 517.9 Thousand Tonnes in 2015.
The gap between the series high (2020) and low (2015) is 86.38 Thousand Tonnes. The sharpest single-year move was +7% in 2016.
Among the 30 countries in this dataset, Canada ranks 9 for 2023, behind U.S. (6,628 Thousand Tonnes) and Germany (3,042 Thousand Tonnes). It accounts for 2.2% of the global total in 2023.
Full series
Complete annual series with year-on-year change. Values are reported in Thousand Tonnes.
Scroll the table sideways to see all columns.
| Year | Thousand Tonnes | Change vs prior year |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 599.9 | −0.2% |
| 2022 | 601 | 0% |
| 2021 | 601.1 | −0.5% |
| 2020Peak | 604.3 | +1.8% |
| 2019 | 593.3 | 0% |
| 2018 | 593.1 | +1.8% |
| 2017 | 582.6 | +5.2% |
| 2016 | 554.1 | +7% |
| 2015 Trough | 517.9 | — |
Regional context
Cheese Production by country, 2023, Thousand Tonnes. Canada is highlighted.
Data definition
Cheese Production — – Cheese Production refers to the total quantity of cheese produced within a country during a specified period, measured in tonnes. The indicator reflects the output of the dairy processing industry by measuring the production of cheese manufactured from milk. It is used to assess the scale of dairy processing, value-added agricultural production, and the performance of the cheese manufacturing sector. The data presented by Our World in Data is based on statistics from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
The data includes the annual production of natural and processed cheese manufactured from milk obtained from dairy animals. It covers cheese produced for domestic consumption, industrial use, and export, including a wide range of cheese varieties reported through official national agricultural and food manufacturing statistics. The figures represent gross domestic cheese production compiled and standardized by the FAO to ensure international comparability across countries and years.
The data excludes raw milk production, butter, yogurt, cream, milk powder, whey products, and other dairy products that are not classified as cheese. It also excludes cheese imports and exports, retail sales, inventories, informal or unrecorded production not captured in official statistics, and cheese substitutes made from non-dairy ingredients such as plant-based alternatives.
Cheese Production — – Cheese Production refers to the total quantity of cheese produced within a country during a specified period, measured in tonnes. The indicator reflects the output of the dairy processing industry by measuring the production of cheese manufactured from milk. It is used to assess the scale of dairy processing, value-added agricultural production, and the performance of the cheese manufacturing sector. The data presented by Our World in Data is based on statistics from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Measured in Thousand Tonnes, the dataset serves as a valuable benchmark for evaluating dairy production capacity, milk utilization, food processing efficiency, agricultural output, and the overall development of Canada's dairy sector. It also supports analysis of production trends, domestic market demand, and the industry's contribution to the country's agri-food economy. Based on the validated data, Canada's cheese production increased from 517.88 thousand tonnes in 2015 to 554.07 thousand tonnes in 2016, followed by continued growth to 582.65 thousand tonnes in 2017 and 593.08 thousand tonnes in 2018. Production remained nearly stable at 593.29 thousand tonnes in 2019 before rising to 604.26 thousand tonnes in 2020, the highest level during the study period. Output then moderated slightly to 601.06 thousand tonnes in 2021, remained almost unchanged at 600.97 thousand tonnes in 2022, and eased marginally to 599.95 thousand tonnes in 2023. Despite the slight decline after 2020, production remained consistently above 600 thousand tonnes, reflecting the stability and resilience of Canada's dairy processing industry under a well-established supply management system. Overall, the dataset provides valuable insights into Canada's cheese production trends, manufacturing performance, and long-term dairy sector development. It enables year-over-year trend analysis, international benchmarking of cheese production, evaluation of processing efficiency, and assessment of agricultural value addition across the dairy supply chain. Policymakers, dairy producers, processors, exporters, investors, market analysts, and researchers can leverage the dataset to monitor production performance, assess industry competitiveness, identify market opportunities, forecast future cheese output, and formulate evidence-based strategies that strengthen dairy productivity, enhance processing efficiency, support innovation, improve supply chain resilience, and promote sustainable growth across Canada's dairy industry.
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Definition – Cheese Production refers to the total quantity of cheese produced within a country during a specified period, measured in tonnes. The indicator reflects the output of the dairy processing industry by measuring the production of cheese manufactured from milk. It is used to assess the scale of dairy processing, value-added agricultural production, and the performance of the cheese manufacturing sector. The data presented by Our World in Data is based on statistics from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Canada Cheese Production was 599.9 Thousand Tonnes in 2023, down 0.2% on 2022.
Canada Cheese Production moved from 517.9 Thousand Tonnes in 2015 to 599.9 Thousand Tonnes in 2023 (+15.8%), an average of +1.9% a year. The series high was 604.3 Thousand Tonnes in 2020 and the low 517.9 Thousand Tonnes in 2015.
The highest value was 604.3 Thousand Tonnes in 2020 and the lowest was 517.9 Thousand Tonnes in 2015.
Included: The data includes the annual production of natural and processed cheese manufactured from milk obtained from dairy animals. It covers cheese produced for domestic consumption, industrial use, and export, including a wide range of cheese varieties reported through official national agricultural and food manufacturing statistics. The figures represent gross domestic cheese production compiled and standardized by the FAO to ensure international comparability across countries and years. Excluded: The data excludes raw milk production, butter, yogurt, cream, milk powder, whey products, and other dairy products that are not classified as cheese. It also excludes cheese imports and exports, retail sales, inventories, informal or unrecorded production not captured in official statistics, and cheese substitutes made from non-dairy ingredients such as plant-based alternatives.
The series is sourced from Our World in Data (https://ourworldindata.org/explorers/global-food?time=2023&country=USA~DEU~FRA~GBR~BRA~ZAF%3BhideControls&pickerSort=asc&Food=Cheese&Metric=Production&Per+capita=false). It covers 2015–2023 and is reported in Thousand Tonnes.
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