You Butter Believe It: Butter Consumption Hits Historic High as Yogurt, Cottage Cheese, and Ice Cream Notch Growth in 2024
WASHINGTON, Dec. 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Consumers continued their preference for wholesome dairy products in 2024, as new data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) shows U.S. per-capita dairy consumption at near historic highs. Butter consumption hit a new record last year, while yogurt consumption showed the strongest overall growth followed by cottage cheese and regular ice cream in 2024. Cheese consumption remained unchanged from a record high the previous year.
USDA’s Economic Research Service reports that Americans consumed 651 pounds of dairy per person in 2024 on a milk-equivalent, milk-fat basis, a level that nears historic records dating back to 1975 when USDA began tracking dairy consumption trends.
Looking at specific dairy categories:
- Butter consumption surpassed all previous records, reaching an all-time high of 6.8 pounds.
- Total cheese consumption was unchanged at 41.9 pounds per person.
- Consumption of cottage cheese rose to 2.4 pounds, the highest level since 2009.
- Yogurt consumption continued its impressive growth, increasing to 14.5 pounds in 2024, a 6% increase from 2023.
- Regular ice cream consumption also grew in 2024, reaching 12 pounds per person.
- Milk consumption saw a modest decline to 127 pounds per person.
In the past decade alone, domestic per capita consumption of cheese (including cottage cheese) is up 13% and butter consumption is up 21%. In the past 20 years, yogurt consumption has grown 58%. Overall, USDA data show Americans’ per capita consumption of dairy is up 0.6% over the past five years, 8% over the past 15 years, and 12% over the past 30 years.
“American families continue to consume dairy foods at near record levels because dairy delivers what matters most today—flavor, affordability, and complete nutrition,” said Michael Dykes, D.V.M., president and CEO of the International Dairy Foods Association in Washington, D.C. “Consumers are leaning into high-protein foods, gut-healthy options, and simple, wholesome ingredients, and dairy meets every one of those needs. Surging sales of yogurt and cottage cheese only underscore the transformation happening for U.S. dairy. Dairy was perfectly made for this moment, and you can see that reflected in Americans consuming more of their favorite dairy year over year.”
Dairy processors are responding to this consistent surge in demand by making historic investments of more than $11 billion in new and expanded manufacturing capacity across 19 states. More than 50 projects have launched across the country, including new and modernized manufacturing plants, major facility expansions, and new warehousing and logistics capacity. These investments build on the billions-of-dollars already deployed over the past decade to strengthen U.S. dairy processing.
The charts here illustrate the consistent growth trend in per capita consumption of dairy products.
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The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), Washington, D.C., represents the nation’s dairy manufacturing and marketing industry, which supports more than 3 million jobs that generate $198 billion in direct wages and $779 billion in overall economic impact. IDFA’s diverse membership ranges from multinational organizations to single-plant companies, from dairy companies and cooperatives to food retailers and suppliers, all on the cutting edge of innovation and sustainable business practices. Together, they represent most of the milk, cheese, ice cream, yogurt and cultured products, and dairy ingredients produced and marketed in the United States and sold throughout the world. Delicious, safe and nutritious, dairy foods offer unparalleled health and consumer benefits to people of all ages.
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Andrew Jerome International Dairy Foods Association 2022203507 ajerome@idfa.org
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