Top 10 Largest Milk Producing Countries In the World 

Milk is a nutritious liquid known to be consumed by humankind for centuries. We all know the importance of milk in our lives. Milk includes some of the most important nutrients that we need, especially for growing children, to strengthen bones and muscles. Milk is also necessary to assure strong teeth and nerve signals too. In milk's raw state, more than 87 per cent of its chemical composition is water, while the other 13% consists of such dietary components as butterfat, whey and casein proteins, lactose, vitamins and minerals. Dairy products can offer various nutrients such as calcium, zinc, magnesium, and vitamin D and B12, therefore playing an important role in the human diet around the world. The milk obtained from animals can be consumed directly and processed into various dairy products such as cheese, butter, cream, yoghurt and curdled milk. Milk is used to make ice cream, whey protein and many more.

The global dairy industry is growing at a strong and steady pace. The global dairy market size was valued at US$ 900 Billion in 2022. The global dairy industry is one of the most important sectors in the global agriculture industry. Dairy Industry deals with the production and processing of animal milk from livestock. Dairy farms commonly consist of high-producing dairy cows. Other species used in commercial dairy farming include goats, sheep and camels. Approximately 150 million households around the globe are engaged in milk production. Milk gives relatively quick returns for small-scale producers and is an important source of cash income. The global milk production in 2019 reached 852 million tonnes. Just three countries are responsible for over 40% of total global milk production. India is the world’s largest milk producer, with 22% of global production, followed by the United States of America, Pakistan, Brazil and China.

Scroll through to see all Top 10 Largest Milk Producing Countries In the World :-

10. Turkey :-

Turkey is the 10th largest milk producer in the world and 3rd in the EU, with a production of 21.53 billion litres. Milk production is concentrated in the Aegean, west side of the country, and the Central Anatolia region, although there are dairy operations in other areas. Around 12 per cent of cow’s milk production occurs in two provinces, Konya and Izmir. There is a huge number of dairy farms in Turkey, the majority of them have less than 10 cows. Many of Turkey’s dairy herds are small-family owned but the number of larger farms has been increasing. Iraq, Saudi Arabia , the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Bangladesh were the top destinations for Turkish dairy products exports in the same period.

9. New Zealand :-

New Zealand is the 9th largest milk producer in the world, with a production of 21.53 billion litres. That is approximately 3% of the world's milk production. New Zealand’s temperate climate is well suited to a low-cost, high-quality grazed-pasture dairy system. Dairying is spread across 1.74 million hectares of land and plays an important role in every regional economy. New Zealand farms just under 5 million dairy cows in over 11,000 dairy herds. The dairy industry provides fulfilling and diverse careers for around 50,000 people, mostly in New Zealand’s regions and rural communities. 

The New Zealand dairy industry produces more than 1500 different dairy products and product formulations from milk. New Zealand dairy companies produce a full range of dairy products, everything from milk powders, butter, and cheese, to infant formula, speciality creams for bakers, and specialist nutritional products including medical and sports nutrition. Dairy is New Zealand’s largest value-added contributor by far. New Zealand export over 95% of the milk produced in the country, to more than 130 different countries worldwide. New Zealand exported NZ$19.7 billion of dairy products. The leading export markets for New Zealand dairy include China, Australia, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, and Japan.

8. French :-

French is the 9th largest milk producer in the world, with a production of 25.01 billion litres. France accounts for more than 17% of all milk production in Europe. Its temperate climate, ample rainfall and availability of farmland make it a top producer of milk. From the coast of Normany to the Alpine mountains, passing through the Pays de la Loire, the different French regions offer very different dairy landscapes. This variety of local conditions gives rise to the diversity of French dairy products and the richness of the French dairy industry. France is the only country in the world to boast 1,200 different types of cheeses, butter and creams, with approximately 60,000 dairy farms and 650 processing plants. The top three milk-producing regions include Lactalis, Sodiaal and Eurial. They had a combined market share of over 52% of the market.

French dairy farms are moderately sized, averaging 58 dairy cows. France has more than 240 dairy cooperatives. French dairy cooperatives have 22,000 employees and 56,000 members. France has around 860 dairy farms of all sizes. Five French dairy groups including Lactalis, Danone, Savencia, Sodiaal and Le Groupe Bel are among the world’s top dairy groups. It's 70% of all milk collected was used to make consumer dairy products, while 30% was used to make products for use in industry. French dairy firms generate total revenue of €30.5 billion. The French dairy industry exports almost half of its processed milk to countries across the world, in a variety of dairy products, from cheeses to yoghurts and from butter to cream.

7. Germany :-

Germany is the largest EU milk producer - with an output of more than 32 million tons of milk. With a market share of more than 20 per cent, Germany is the biggest milk producer in the EU. Nearly one out of four agricultural farms in Germany keeps dairy cows. The top three milk-producing regions include Bavaria, Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia. They had a combined market share of over 57% of the market.

Germany’s $14 billion dairy farming industry rests squarely on the backs of 4.2 million cows. Germany has around 12.5 million head of cattle in total, including 4.2 million dairy cows and 0.7 million suckler cows. Germany has the largest dairy cattle herd and the second-largest cattle population in the European Union. Top German dairy companies include DMK Deutsches Milchkontor, Müller and Hochwald.

6. Russia :-

Milk and dairy production levels in Russia gradually expanded year-on-year, reaching approximately 33 million metric tons in 2021. Russia is now 82% self-sufficient in milk. It relies on imports to fill the remaining 18% of domestic demand. Top three milk producing regions include The Republic of Tartastan, The Republic of Bashkortostan, Altai Territory, Krasnodar Territory and Rostov region.

The dairy market is mostly shaped by a few foreign companies, government companies and numerous small local companies. Among milk processors, the leading position is shared between Danone with 7.5% and PepsiCo with 7.2%, Molvest with 2.3%, Kosmos Group with 2.2% and other companies with less than 2% market share. Russia's top export destinations for dairy products to Japan, Vietnam and China. Export of milk and milk products from Russia reached US$ 380 million in 2020.

5. China :-

China is the 5th largest milk producer in the world, with the production of 34 billion litres of milk. China is the second-largest in Asia. Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group is the largest dairy processor in China. It is the number one Chinese company for UHT milk and milk powder. Mengniu Dairy is Yili Group’s major competitor and is based in Inner Mongolia.

4. Brazil :-

Brazil is the 4th largest milk producer in the world, with a production of 37 billion litres. Brazil’s tropical climate and green pastures are also ideal for dairy production. Brazil has the world’s third-largest dairy cow herd with 17.1m heads. The Southwest and South are the top milk-producing regions in Brazil. Southern Brazil produced 12.45 billion litres of milk, constituting 37% of national production. The top three milk-producing regions are the states of Rio Grande do Sul, Parana and Santa Catarina. The dairy sector contributes to the local economy in 5,551 of Brazil’s 5,569 municipalities.

Dairy is the sector with the sixth-highest gross value in Brazilian agriculture and around 80% of dairy farmers are smallholders. Dairy farming generates about 3.6m direct jobs and is responsible for 40% of the jobs in rural areas. Brazil’s small family farms are responsible for 58% of the total milk supply for consumption. Brazil currently exports to more than 110 countries. Current exports are mostly focused on milk powder, whole/skimmed milk, UHT and condensed milk, and cheeses.

3. Pakistan :-

Pakistan is the 3rd largest milk producer in the world, with a production of 48 billion litres. In Pakistan, livestock plays an important role, accounting for about 60.5% of agriculture value-added and 11.2% of GDP. Dairy is the source of income for over 8 million rural families. Within the livestock sector, milk is the largest single commodity. Approximately 80% of milk is produced at a small scale in rural areas,15% per urban and 5% in urban areas.

The province of Punjab has the largest buffalo population, with 64 per cent of the total, followed by Sindh with 26 per cent, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) with 7 per cent, and Baluchistan with only 1.2 per cent. Punjab also has the largest cattle population, with 48 per cent of the total, followed by Sindh with 23 per cent, KPK with 20 per cent, and Baluchistan with 7 per cent. The Punjab and Sindh are the major milk-producing provinces, with an annual production of 25.62 million and 9.35 million litres respectively. KPK produces an estimated 4.88 million litres per year and Baluchistan 0.81 million litres.

2. United States of America :-

The USA is the 2nd largest milk producer in the world, with a production of 99 billion litres. The dairy industry in the United States includes farms, cooperatives, and companies that produce milk and cheese and related products, such as milking machines, and distribute them to the consumer. Dairy farms overwhelmingly family-owned and managed—are generally members of producer cooperatives. There are 40,200 dairy farms in the United States. The number of milk cows on farms in the 24 major States was 8.91 million head.

Milk is produced in all 50 States, with the highest producing states in the western and northern areas of the country. California is the largest milk-producing state in the U.S., with the production of 20 billion litres. California accounted for nearly 19% of the milk produced in the United States. The state is followed by Wisconsin, Idaho, New York and Texas, with 15 billion, 9 billion, 8 billion and 7 billion litres respectively. Herd size in the US varies from 1,200 on the West Coast and Southwest to roughly 50 in the Midwest and Northeast.

1. India :-

India is the largest milk producer in the world, with a production of 197 billion litres. India is first among all countries in both production and consumption of milk. Most of the milk is domestically consumed, though a small fraction is also exported. The Indian dairy industry is highly fragmented, with an estimated 70 million small-scale farmers handling only a few cattle and buffalo each. Most of India's rural dairy farms are family-owned and operated. Dairy plays a significant part in numerous aspects of Indian society including cuisine, religion, culture, and the economy.

India has the world's largest dairy herd with over 300 million bovines, producing
over 187 million tonnes of milk. It includes 192 million cattle and 109 million buffaloes. Most of the milk produced comes from buffalo; cow milk is a close second, and goat milk is a distant third. Buffaloes produced 91.82 million tonnes of milk. Goat milk is the third-most produced variety of milk, with a contribution of 4%. In Maharashtra alone, there are approximately 4 million dairy farmers, while Gujarat had the highest dairy output of the states and union territories of India.