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The World Demands More Yoghurt

A recent report (World Yoghurt Market 2000-2020) from PM Food & Dairy Consulting analyses the development of the global market for yoghurt and fermented dairy products from 2000 to 2011 and assesses the global opportunities from 2012 to 2020. The world market for yoghurt and fermented dairy products has developed dynamically in the last 25 […]

A recent report (World Yoghurt Market 2000-2020) from PM Food & Dairy Consulting analyses the development of the global market for yoghurt and fermented dairy products from 2000 to 2011 and assesses the global opportunities from 2012 to 2020.

The world market for yoghurt and fermented dairy products has developed dynamically in the last 25 years, in both the developed dairy markets and in emerging markets. The development has been driven by innovation and product development.

Yoghurt has expanded in the developed dairy markets, but the demand is still growing here with a focus on the health and functional aspects of the product category. In emerging dairy markets, where there is no tradition of consuming dairy products, yoghurt is used as a market opener with a special focus on children and teenagers. The possibilities to adapt the taste and context of yoghurt to domestic preferences have made yoghurt very easy to launch in new, emerging dairy markets.

The possibilities to adapt the taste and context of yoghurt to the domestic preferences have made yoghurt very easy to launch on new emerging dairy markets (photo: Gropper)

The production of yoghurt and fermented dairy products has rocketed in the last decade, increasing by 10.5 million MT (+55%). Growth was mainly driven by the doubling of production in North America, South America, and Asia. Also, MEA and Oceania showed growth rates over 50% and Eastern Europe and CIS grew at 40%. On the other hand, production almost stagnated with growth of only 16% in Western Europe were the consumption of yoghurt is highest.

Table: Production of yoghurt and fermented dairy products 2000-2015

Source: IDF, USDA, FAO, PM FOOD & DAIRY CONSULTING

This positive development is expected to continue in the future, and world production will grow by a further 10 million MT (+34%) from 2010 to 2015. Asia will expand even faster than in the last decade,  with expected growth of 66%. Expansion is expected to slow down a little in North and South America, but the MEA region is moving ahead faster in the 2010s the in the last decade, illustrating the economic growth in the Middle East and several countries in Africa.