– Cheese Production refers to the total quantity of cheese produced within a country during a specified period, measured in tonnes.
Japan Cheese Production was 151.4 Thousand Tonnes in 2023, down 7.9% on 2022. The Japan 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. Measured in Thousand Tonnes, the dataset serves as a valuable benchmark for evaluating dairy production capacity, milk utilization, food processing efficiency, agricultural output, and domestic cheese manufacturing.
Japan Cheese Production moved from 141.8 Thousand Tonnes in 2015 to 151.4 Thousand Tonnes in 2023 (+6.8%), an average of +0.8% a year. The series high was 164.4 Thousand Tonnes in 2022 and the low 93.10 Thousand Tonnes in 2017.
The gap between the series high (2022) and low (2017) is 71.32 Thousand Tonnes. The sharpest single-year move was +49.5% in 2019.
Among the 30 countries in this dataset, Japan ranks 20 for 2023, behind U.S. (6,628 Thousand Tonnes) and Germany (3,042 Thousand Tonnes). It accounts for 0.6% of the global total in 2023.
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 | 151.4 | −7.9% |
| 2022Peak | 164.4 | +1.9% |
| 2021 | 161.3 | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 160.3 | +12.6% |
| 2019 | 142.4 | +49.5% |
| 2018 | 95.26 | +2.3% |
| 2017 Trough | 93.10 | −9.3% |
| 2016 | 102.6 | −27.6% |
| 2015 | 141.8 | — |
Regional context
Cheese Production by country, 2023, Thousand Tonnes. Japan 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).
It also supports analysis of production trends, market dynamics, and the long-term development of Japan's dairy sector. Based on the validated data, Japan's cheese production experienced significant fluctuations over the study period. Production declined sharply from 141.76 thousand tonnes in 2015 to 102.62 thousand tonnes in 2016 and further to 93.10 thousand tonnes in 2017. Output recovered modestly to 95.26 thousand tonnes in 2018, followed by a strong rebound to 142.39 thousand tonnes in 2019. Production continued to increase to 160.27 thousand tonnes in 2020, 161.33 thousand tonnes in 2021, and reached a period high of 164.42 thousand tonnes in 2022, before easing to 151.40 thousand tonnes in 2023. Despite the decline in the final year, production remained above the levels recorded during 2016–2018, reflecting the industry's recovery and stable processing capacity. Overall, the dataset provides valuable insights into Japan'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 market opportunities, forecast future cheese output, evaluate industry competitiveness, strengthen supply chain resilience, encourage innovation, support sustainable dairy production, and promote long-term growth across Japan'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).
Japan Cheese Production was 151.4 Thousand Tonnes in 2023, down 7.9% on 2022.
Japan Cheese Production moved from 141.8 Thousand Tonnes in 2015 to 151.4 Thousand Tonnes in 2023 (+6.8%), an average of +0.8% a year. The series high was 164.4 Thousand Tonnes in 2022 and the low 93.10 Thousand Tonnes in 2017.
The highest value was 164.4 Thousand Tonnes in 2022 and the lowest was 93.10 Thousand Tonnes in 2017.
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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