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.
North America Whey Production was 707.8 Thousand Tonnes in 2023, up 5.1% on 2022. North America’s whey production demonstrated strong growth between 2015 and 2023, supported by its advanced dairy processing industry, large-scale cheese manufacturing sector, and increasing demand for whey-based ingredients.
North America Whey Production moved from 503.4 Thousand Tonnes in 2015 to 707.8 Thousand Tonnes in 2023 (+40.6%), an average of +4.4% a year. The series high was 707.8 Thousand Tonnes in 2023 and the low 458.1 Thousand Tonnes in 2021.
The gap between the series high (2023) and low (2021) is 249.7 Thousand Tonnes. The sharpest single-year move was +47% in 2022.
Within North America, U.S. has the highest value in 2023 at 654.3 Thousand Tonnes, 92.4% of the regional total.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2023Peak | 707.8 | +5.1% |
| 2022 | 673.3 | +47% |
| 2021 Trough | 458.1 | −6.3% |
| 2020 | 489 | −1.9% |
| 2019 | 498.4 | −1.9% |
| 2018 | 508.3 | −3.2% |
| 2017 | 525.3 | +8.7% |
| 2016 | 483.2 | −4% |
| 2015 | 503.4 | — |
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.
According to the macro indicator data, the region produced approximately 503.42 thousand tonnes of whey in 2015, which declined slightly to 483.16 thousand tonnes in 2016 before increasing to 525.33 thousand tonnes in 2017. Production remained relatively stable in the following years, reaching 508.30 thousand tonnes in 2018, 498.43 thousand tonnes in 2019, and 489.00 thousand tonnes in 2020. A significant increase was observed from 2021 onwards, with production rising to 458.14 thousand tonnes in 2021, 673.34 thousand tonnes in 2022, and reaching 707.80 thousand tonnes in 2023. The overall upward trend highlights the expansion of dairy processing activities and improved utilization of whey as a valuable dairy by-product. North America’s whey industry benefits from strong milk production systems, advanced processing technologies, and high investments in nutritional ingredient manufacturing. Whey generated from cheese and dairy processing is increasingly converted into whey protein concentrates, isolates, powders, lactose, and functional food ingredients. The region also has a well-established export market for whey products, particularly due to increasing global demand for sports nutrition, health supplements, and protein-enriched foods. Sustainability initiatives have encouraged dairy processors to maximize resource efficiency by reducing waste and improving whey recovery systems. Overall, North America’s whey production industry reflects technological advancement, strong market demand, and continued growth potential. Future expansion is expected to be driven by innovation in dairy ingredient processing, rising consumer interest in protein products, and increasing international trade opportunities.
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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.
North America Whey Production was 707.8 Thousand Tonnes in 2023, up 5.1% on 2022.
North America Whey Production moved from 503.4 Thousand Tonnes in 2015 to 707.8 Thousand Tonnes in 2023 (+40.6%), an average of +4.4% a year. The series high was 707.8 Thousand Tonnes in 2023 and the low 458.1 Thousand Tonnes in 2021.
The highest value was 707.8 Thousand Tonnes in 2023 and the lowest was 458.1 Thousand Tonnes in 2021.
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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