More Cheese, Less Butter: A New Trend in Germany

In 2024, Germans reached for cheese more often than in the previous year. Per capita consumption rose to 25.4 kilograms – an increase of one kilogram. Domestic cheese production also increased: according to the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food, 2.74 million tonnes of cheese were produced (2023: 2.66 million tonnes).

Butter Consumption Drops – Price Increase as a Possible Cause

In contrast, butter consumption declined noticeably. On average, each person consumed only 5.3 kilograms – around 250 grams less than in 2023. Production of butter as well as milk fat and spreadable milk fat products also fell slightly, to 473,400 tonnes.

One possible reason for the decline is the sharp rise in butter prices. In October 2024, the cheapest package of German brand butter cost €2.39 – more expensive than ever before. Experts attribute this development to smaller milk volumes and a lower fat content in raw milk. However, butter prices have been falling again since February 2025.

Milk Production Continues to Decline

Overall, less milk was delivered to dairies in 2024 – the volume dropped by 118,000 tonnes to 31.3 million tonnes. One major factor was the so-called bluetongue disease affecting cattle. As a result, the production of drinking milk also fell for the fourth consecutive year, reaching 4.1 million tonnes. Per capita consumption, however, remained stable at 46.2 kilograms.

Photo: Unsplash / by Azzedine Rouichi