Whey production refers to the total quantity of whey generated during the processing of milk into cheese, casein, yogurt, and other dairy products over a specified period, typically measured in metric tonnes.
Global Whey Production was 3,300 Thousand Tonnes in 2023, down 5.7% on 2022. Global whey production increased from approximately 2.96 million tonnes in 2015 to 3.30 million tonnes in 2023, reflecting the continued expansion and resilience of global dairy processing activity. Production fluctuated during the period, rising from 2.90 million tonnes in 2016 to 3.07 million tonnes in 2017 and reaching 3.25 million tonnes in 2019, before moderating to 3.15 million tonnes in 2020.
Global Whey Production moved from 2,960 Thousand Tonnes in 2015 to 3,300 Thousand Tonnes in 2023 (+11.5%), an average of +1.4% a year. The series high was 3,500 Thousand Tonnes in 2022 and the low 2,900 Thousand Tonnes in 2016.
The gap between the series high (2022) and low (2016) is 600 Thousand Tonnes. The sharpest single-year move was +6.7% in 2022.
Of the 23 countries in this dataset, U.S., France and Germany have the highest values in 2023 (654.3, 420.7, 384.5 Thousand Tonnes respectively).
Country ranking
Thousand Tonnes. Sort by any column, or search for a country.
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| Rank↕ | Country↕ | Share of top | Thousand Tonnes↕ | vs 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | U.S. | 654.3 | +5.6% | |
| 2 | France | 420.7 | −11.9% | |
| 3 | Germany | 384.5 | +3.7% | |
| 4 | Ireland | 268.5 | −1.1% | |
| 5 | Italy | 240.2 | −0.7% | |
| 6 | Belarus | 158.6 | +7.3% | |
| 7 | Netherlands | 158.5 | 0% | |
| 8 | Australia | 110.9 | −12.1% | |
| 9 | Turkey | 80.88 | +8.7% | |
| 10 | Switzerland | 73.35 | +3.9% | |
| 11 | Argentina | 71.52 | +2.4% | |
| 12 | UK | 68.90 | 0% | |
| 13 | Canada | 53.50 | −0.1% | |
| 14 | New Zealand | 30.30 | 0% | |
| 15 | Denmark | 28.74 | −0.2% | |
| 16 | Spain | 28.74 | −0.2% | |
| 17 | Austria | 23.04 | −2.7% | |
| 18 | Finland | 21.81 | −6.9% | |
| 19 | Ukraine | 13.90 | +0.6% | |
| 20 | Chile | 12.38 | +2% | |
| 21 | India | 6.98 | +26.7% | |
| 22 | Sweden | 1.96 | 0% | |
| 23 | Thailand | 1.91 | +0.3% |
By region
Thousand Tonnes, 2023. Each bar is that region's total.
Full series
Complete annual series with year-on-year change. Values are reported in Thousand Tonnes.
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| Year | Thousand Tonnes | Change vs prior year |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 3,300 | −5.7% |
| 2022Peak | 3,500 | +6.7% |
| 2021 | 3,280 | +4.1% |
| 2020 | 3,150 | −3.1% |
| 2019 | 3,250 | +4.5% |
| 2018 | 3,110 | +1.3% |
| 2017 | 3,070 | +5.9% |
| 2016 Trough | 2,900 | −2% |
| 2015 | 2,960 | — |
Data definition
Whey Production — Whey production refers to the total quantity of whey generated during the processing of milk into cheese, casein, yogurt, and other dairy products over a specified period, typically measured in metric tonnes. Whey is the liquid by-product remaining after milk has been curdled and strained and contains proteins, lactose, minerals, and water. This indicator measures the volume of whey produced by the dairy industry before it undergoes further processing into products such as whey protein concentrate (WPC), whey protein isolate (WPI), whey powder, lactose, or other dairy ingredients. It serves as an important indicator of dairy processing activity and the availability of whey as a raw material for food, beverage, nutrition, and animal feed industries.
The whey production indicator includes the total annual volume of whey produced from the processing of milk obtained from cows, buffaloes, goats, sheep, and other dairy animals. It covers both sweet whey and acid whey generated during the manufacture of cheese, casein, yogurt, and similar dairy products. The indicator also includes whey intended for further processing into whey powder, whey protein concentrates, whey protein isolates, lactose, demineralized whey, and other value-added dairy ingredients, regardless of whether the output is used domestically, exported, or supplied for industrial or animal feed applications. Production figures are generally compiled from official agricultural and dairy industry statistics.
The whey production indicator excludes raw milk production and the production volumes of finished dairy products such as cheese, butter, yogurt, cream, skim milk powder, whole milk powder, and casein. It also excludes production data for processed whey derivatives, including whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate, lactose, and whey powder, when these are reported separately from raw whey production. In addition, the indicator does not include imports, exports, inventories, retail sales, market prices, consumption data, production capacity, or experimental and non-commercial whey production that falls outside official agricultural and dairy production statistics.
Whey Production — Whey production refers to the total quantity of whey generated during the processing of milk into cheese, casein, yogurt, and other dairy products over a specified period, typically measured in metric tonnes. Whey is the liquid by-product remaining after milk has been curdled and strained and contains proteins, lactose, minerals, and water. This indicator measures the volume of whey produced by the dairy industry before it undergoes further processing into products such as whey protein concentrate (WPC), whey protein isolate (WPI), whey powder, lactose, or other dairy ingredients. It serves as an important indicator of dairy processing activity and the availability of whey as a raw material for food, beverage, nutrition, and animal feed industries.
Global whey production subsequently increased to 3.28 million tonnes in 2021 and reached a period high of approximately 3.50 million tonnes in 2022, followed by a slight decline to 3.30 million tonnes in 2023. Overall, the data indicate a gradual upward trend in global whey availability, supported by sustained dairy processing and cheese manufacturing activities.
Whey production is closely linked to global milk production, cheese and casein manufacturing, dairy processing capacity, and the utilization of whey as a commercially valuable dairy by-product. The increase in whey availability has supported the production of whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate, whey powder, lactose, and other specialized dairy ingredients. Growing demand for protein-rich foods and beverages, sports nutrition products, functional foods, and infant nutrition has further increased the commercial importance of whey and encouraged greater utilization of available whey streams.
Technological advancements in membrane filtration, separation, concentration, and drying have also improved the efficiency of whey processing and enabled dairy processors to convert a larger proportion of whey into higher-value ingredients. Major dairy-producing regions, including Europe, North America, Asia, Oceania, and South America, continue to contribute significantly to global whey availability through established milk-processing and cheese-production industries.
The upward movement in global whey production also reflects the broader focus of the dairy industry on resource efficiency and waste reduction. By converting whey into protein, lactose, and other value-added ingredients, dairy processors can improve raw-material utilization while responding to growing demand for functional and high-protein nutritional products. Overall, global whey production increased by approximately 11.5% between 2015 and 2023, demonstrating a generally expanding supply base and reinforcing whey's strategic importance within the global dairy ingredients value chain.
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Whey production refers to the total quantity of whey generated during the processing of milk into cheese, casein, yogurt, and other dairy products over a specified period, typically measured in metric tonnes. Whey is the liquid by-product remaining after milk has been curdled and strained and contains proteins, lactose, minerals, and water. This indicator measures the volume of whey produced by the dairy industry before it undergoes further processing into products such as whey protein concentrate (WPC), whey protein isolate (WPI), whey powder, lactose, or other dairy ingredients. It serves as an important indicator of dairy processing activity and the availability of whey as a raw material for food, beverage, nutrition, and animal feed industries.
Global Whey Production was 3,300 Thousand Tonnes in 2023, down 5.7% on 2022.
Global Whey Production moved from 2,960 Thousand Tonnes in 2015 to 3,300 Thousand Tonnes in 2023 (+11.5%), an average of +1.4% a year. The series high was 3,500 Thousand Tonnes in 2022 and the low 2,900 Thousand Tonnes in 2016.
The highest value was 3,500 Thousand Tonnes in 2022 and the lowest was 2,900 Thousand Tonnes in 2016.
Included: The whey production indicator includes the total annual volume of whey produced from the processing of milk obtained from cows, buffaloes, goats, sheep, and other dairy animals. It covers both sweet whey and acid whey generated during the manufacture of cheese, casein, yogurt, and similar dairy products. The indicator also includes whey intended for further processing into whey powder, whey protein concentrates, whey protein isolates, lactose, demineralized whey, and other value-added dairy ingredients, regardless of whether the output is used domestically, exported, or supplied for industrial or animal feed applications. Production figures are generally compiled from official agricultural and dairy industry statistics. Excluded: The whey production indicator excludes raw milk production and the production volumes of finished dairy products such as cheese, butter, yogurt, cream, skim milk powder, whole milk powder, and casein. It also excludes production data for processed whey derivatives, including whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate, lactose, and whey powder, when these are reported separately from raw whey production. In addition, the indicator does not include imports, exports, inventories, retail sales, market prices, consumption data, production capacity, or experimental and non-commercial whey production that falls outside official agricultural and dairy production statistics.
The series is sourced from Our World in Data (https://ourworldindata.org/explorers/global-food?tab=table&overlay=download-data&Food=Whey&Metric=Production&Per+capita=false&country=USA~DEU~FRA~GBR~BRA~ZAF%3BhideControls). It covers 2015–2023 and is reported in Thousand Tonnes.
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