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.
South America Whey Production was 100.8 Thousand Tonnes in 2023, up 1% on 2022. South America’s whey production experienced the moderate fluctuations between 2015 and 2023, influenced by changes in dairy processing activities, milk production trends, and market conditions across the region. According to the macro indicator data, South America produced approximately 112.08 thousand tonnes of whey in 2015, followed by 109.21 thousand tonnes in 2016.
South America Whey Production moved from 112.1 Thousand Tonnes in 2015 to 100.8 Thousand Tonnes in 2023 (−10.1%), an average of −1.3% a year. The series high was 112.1 Thousand Tonnes in 2015 and the low 87.80 Thousand Tonnes in 2017.
The gap between the series high (2015) and low (2017) is 24.28 Thousand Tonnes. The sharpest single-year move was −19.6% in 2017.
Within South America, Argentina has the highest value in 2023 at 71.52 Thousand Tonnes, 71% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 100.8 | +1% |
| 2022 | 99.71 | −3.5% |
| 2021 | 103.3 | +6.7% |
| 2020 | 96.89 | +5.1% |
| 2019 | 92.15 | −0.9% |
| 2018 | 92.95 | +5.9% |
| 2017 Trough | 87.80 | −19.6% |
| 2016 | 109.2 | −2.6% |
| 2015Peak | 112.1 | — |
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.
Production declined to 87.80 thousand tonnes in 2017 before recovering slightly to 92.95 thousand tonnes in 2018. Output remained stable during 2019 and 2020, reaching 92.15 thousand tonnes and 96.89 thousand tonnes respectively. Production increased further to 103.35 thousand tonnes in 2021, before declining slightly to 99.71 thousand tonnes in 2022 and reaching 100.76 thousand tonnes in 2023. South America’s whey industry is closely connected with its dairy processing sector, particularly cheese manufacturing in countries such as Argentina and Chile. Whey is increasingly recognized as a valuable resource for producing protein ingredients, nutritional supplements, food additives, and animal feed products. The region benefits from strong agricultural resources, established dairy farming systems, and growing investments in food processing technologies. Increasing demand for functional foods and protein-based products has encouraged dairy companies to improve whey recovery and processing capabilities. However, production growth remains influenced by economic conditions, infrastructure development, and investment levels within the dairy sector. Overall, South America’s whey production industry shows gradual development potential, supported by expanding dairy activities, improved processing efficiency, and rising demand for value-added dairy ingredients. Future growth opportunities will depend on modernization of processing facilities, sustainability initiatives, and stronger participation in global whey markets.
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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.
South America Whey Production was 100.8 Thousand Tonnes in 2023, up 1% on 2022.
South America Whey Production moved from 112.1 Thousand Tonnes in 2015 to 100.8 Thousand Tonnes in 2023 (−10.1%), an average of −1.3% a year. The series high was 112.1 Thousand Tonnes in 2015 and the low 87.80 Thousand Tonnes in 2017.
The highest value was 112.1 Thousand Tonnes in 2015 and the lowest was 87.80 Thousand Tonnes in 2017.
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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