– Cheese Production refers to the total quantity of cheese produced within a country during a specified period, measured in tonnes.
Spain Cheese Production was 535.9 Thousand Tonnes in 2023, down 0.7% on 2022. The Spain 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 market demand.
Spain Cheese Production moved from 453.2 Thousand Tonnes in 2015 to 535.9 Thousand Tonnes in 2023 (+18.2%), an average of +2.1% a year. The series high was 549.6 Thousand Tonnes in 2021 and the low 443.4 Thousand Tonnes in 2019.
The gap between the series high (2021) and low (2019) is 106.2 Thousand Tonnes. The sharpest single-year move was +16.2% in 2021.
Among the 30 countries in this dataset, Spain ranks 10 for 2023, behind U.S. (6,628 Thousand Tonnes) and Germany (3,042 Thousand Tonnes). It accounts for 2% 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 | 535.9 | −0.7% |
| 2022 | 539.7 | −1.8% |
| 2021Peak | 549.6 | +16.2% |
| 2020 | 473.1 | +6.7% |
| 2019 Trough | 443.4 | −6.8% |
| 2018 | 475.8 | −1.4% |
| 2017 | 482.3 | +4.4% |
| 2016 | 462 | +1.9% |
| 2015 | 453.2 | — |
Regional context
Cheese Production by country, 2023, Thousand Tonnes. Spain 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, supply chain performance, and the contribution of cheese manufacturing to Spain's agri-food economy. Based on the validated data, Spain's cheese production increased from 453.17 thousand tonnes in 2015 to 461.99 thousand tonnes in 2016 and 482.34 thousand tonnes in 2017, before easing slightly to 475.78 thousand tonnes in 2018. Production declined further to 443.44 thousand tonnes in 2019, representing the lowest level during the study period. Output recovered to 473.14 thousand tonnes in 2020 and rose sharply to a series high of 549.62 thousand tonnes in 2021. Production moderated slightly to 539.69 thousand tonnes in 2022 and 535.87 thousand tonnes in 2023, while remaining substantially above pre-2021 levels. The overall trend highlights the resilience of Spain's dairy processing industry and its ability to recover from temporary declines through improved production capacity and sustained market demand. Overall, the dataset provides valuable insights into Spain'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 utilize 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 Spain'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).
Spain Cheese Production was 535.9 Thousand Tonnes in 2023, down 0.7% on 2022.
Spain Cheese Production moved from 453.2 Thousand Tonnes in 2015 to 535.9 Thousand Tonnes in 2023 (+18.2%), an average of +2.1% a year. The series high was 549.6 Thousand Tonnes in 2021 and the low 443.4 Thousand Tonnes in 2019.
The highest value was 549.6 Thousand Tonnes in 2021 and the lowest was 443.4 Thousand Tonnes in 2019.
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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