– Cheese Production refers to the total quantity of cheese produced within a country during a specified period, measured in tonnes.
Netherlands Cheese Production was 1,019 Thousand Tonnes in 2023, up 4.7% on 2022. The Netherlands 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 an important benchmark for evaluating dairy production capacity, milk utilization, food processing efficiency, agricultural output, and export competitiveness.
Netherlands Cheese Production moved from 870 Thousand Tonnes in 2015 to 1,019 Thousand Tonnes in 2023 (+17.2%), an average of +2% a year. The series high was 1,019 Thousand Tonnes in 2023 and the low 870 Thousand Tonnes in 2015.
The gap between the series high (2023) and low (2015) is 149.2 Thousand Tonnes. The sharpest single-year move was +5.7% in 2019.
Among the 30 countries in this dataset, Netherlands ranks 6 for 2023, behind U.S. (6,628 Thousand Tonnes) and Germany (3,042 Thousand Tonnes). It accounts for 3.7% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2023Peak | 1,019 | +4.7% |
| 2022 | 973.6 | −1.1% |
| 2021 | 984 | −1.6% |
| 2020 | 999.6 | +4.9% |
| 2019 | 953.3 | +5.7% |
| 2018 | 902 | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 896 | −1.6% |
| 2016 | 911 | +4.7% |
| 2015 Trough | 870 | — |
Regional context
Cheese Production by country, 2023, Thousand Tonnes. Netherlands 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 long-term production trends and the contribution of cheese manufacturing to the Netherlands' agri-food economy. Based on the validated data, cheese production increased from 870.00 thousand tonnes in 2015 to 911.00 thousand tonnes in 2016, before easing slightly to 896.00 thousand tonnes in 2017. Output recovered to 902.00 thousand tonnes in 2018 and increased significantly to 953.27 thousand tonnes in 2019 and 999.61 thousand tonnes in 2020. Production moderated to 984.04 thousand tonnes in 2021 and 973.58 thousand tonnes in 2022, before reaching a series high of 1,019.24 thousand tonnes in 2023. The long-term upward trend reflects the strength of the Netherlands' dairy industry, supported by efficient milk production, advanced processing technologies, and strong domestic and international demand. Overall, the dataset offers valuable insights into cheese production trends, dairy manufacturing performance, and the long-term development of the Dutch dairy sector. 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, assess industry competitiveness, strengthen supply chain resilience, encourage innovation, support sustainable dairy production, and promote long-term growth across the Netherlands' 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).
Netherlands Cheese Production was 1,019 Thousand Tonnes in 2023, up 4.7% on 2022.
Netherlands Cheese Production moved from 870 Thousand Tonnes in 2015 to 1,019 Thousand Tonnes in 2023 (+17.2%), an average of +2% a year. The series high was 1,019 Thousand Tonnes in 2023 and the low 870 Thousand Tonnes in 2015.
The highest value was 1,019 Thousand Tonnes in 2023 and the lowest was 870 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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