– Cheese Production refers to the total quantity of cheese produced within a country during a specified period, measured in tonnes.
Italy Cheese Production was 1,344 Thousand Tonnes in 2023, down 1.1% on 2022. The Italy Cheese Production dataset provides a comprehensive assessment of the country's cheese manufacturing performance and the growth of its dairy processing industry between 2015 and 2023.
Italy Cheese Production moved from 1,207 Thousand Tonnes in 2015 to 1,344 Thousand Tonnes in 2023 (+11.4%), an average of +1.4% a year. The series high was 1,374 Thousand Tonnes in 2021 and the low 1,207 Thousand Tonnes in 2015.
The gap between the series high (2021) and low (2015) is 167.6 Thousand Tonnes. The sharpest single-year move was +3.7% in 2018.
Among the 30 countries in this dataset, Italy ranks 4 for 2023, behind U.S. (6,628 Thousand Tonnes) and Germany (3,042 Thousand Tonnes). It accounts for 4.9% 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 | 1,344 | −1.1% |
| 2022 | 1,359 | −1.1% |
| 2021Peak | 1,374 | +2.2% |
| 2020 | 1,345 | +1.3% |
| 2019 | 1,327 | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 1,308 | +3.7% |
| 2017 | 1,261 | +2.3% |
| 2016 | 1,232 | +2.1% |
| 2015 Trough | 1,207 | — |
Regional context
Cheese Production by country, 2023, Thousand Tonnes. Italy 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 Million Tonnes, the dataset serves as an important benchmark for evaluating dairy sector productivity, milk utilization, food processing capacity, agricultural output, and the long-term development of Italy's cheese industry. It also supports analysis of production trends, processing efficiency, and the contribution of cheese manufacturing to the country's agri-food economy. Based on the validated data, Italy's cheese production recorded a generally upward trend over the study period. Production increased from 1.21 million tonnes in 2015 to 1.23 million tonnes in 2016 and 1.26 million tonnes in 2017, followed by continued growth to 1.31 million tonnes in 2018 and 1.33 million tonnes in 2019. Output expanded further to 1.34 million tonnes in 2020 and reached a series high of 1.37 million tonnes in 2021. Production then eased slightly to 1.36 million tonnes in 2022 and 1.34 million tonnes in 2023, remaining substantially above the 2015 level. The overall trend reflects sustained expansion in Italy's dairy processing sector, supported by strong domestic demand, internationally recognized specialty cheese production, and efficient manufacturing capabilities. Overall, the dataset provides valuable insights into Italy's cheese production trends, dairy manufacturing performance, and long-term industry 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 use the dataset to monitor production performance, identify growth opportunities, forecast future cheese output, assess industry competitiveness, strengthen supply chain resilience, encourage innovation, support sustainable dairy production, and promote long-term growth across Italy'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).
Italy Cheese Production was 1,344 Thousand Tonnes in 2023, down 1.1% on 2022.
Italy Cheese Production moved from 1,207 Thousand Tonnes in 2015 to 1,344 Thousand Tonnes in 2023 (+11.4%), an average of +1.4% a year. The series high was 1,374 Thousand Tonnes in 2021 and the low 1,207 Thousand Tonnes in 2015.
The highest value was 1,374 Thousand Tonnes in 2021 and the lowest was 1,207 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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