Brazil’s per capita milk consumption edged down to 178 liters in 2022. Meanwhile, cheese consumption grew by 3%, reflecting a fundamental shift in the nation's dairy habits.
Key Takeaways
- Brazil consumed 178 liters of milk per capita in 2022, down from 180 in 2021
- Fluid milk consumption totaled 24 billion liters in 2022
- Cheese consumption reached 5.5 kg per capita in 2022, up 3%
- Brazil exported 85,000 tons of milk powder in 2022, mainly to South America
- Dairy exports value reached USD 300 million in 2022, up 15%
- Cheese exports totaled 25,000 tons in 2022, primarily to Venezuela and Philippines
- Brazil has 1,200 dairy processing plants, with top 10 controlling 60% market share in 2022
- Nestlé Brazil produced 5 billion liters milk equivalent in 2022
- JBS acquired 3 dairy plants in 2022, boosting capacity to 2 billion liters/year
- Raw milk producer price averaged BRL 2.25 per liter in Dec 2022
- Retail price of fluid milk was BRL 5.80 per liter in 2022 average
- Cheese wholesale price reached BRL 45/kg for mozzarella in 2022
- In 2022, Brazil produced 35.6 billion liters of raw milk, marking a 2.5% increase from the previous year
- Brazil's milk production reached 24.4 million metric tons in 2021, positioning it as the world's fourth-largest producer
- The state of Minas Gerais accounted for 26.5% of Brazil's total milk production in 2022 with 9.4 billion liters
In 2022, Brazilian dairy demand softened but UHT and yogurt rose, while exports and cheese showed growth.
Related reading
01 · Category
Consumption and Demand24 stats
01
Brazil consumed 178 liters of milk per capita in 2022, down from 180 in 2021
02
Fluid milk consumption totaled 24 billion liters in 2022
03
Cheese consumption reached 5.5 kg per capita in 2022, up 3%
04
Yogurt consumption grew to 15 liters per capita in 2022
05
UHT milk accounted for 85% of fluid milk consumption in urban Brazil in 2022
06
Total dairy product consumption value was BRL 120 billion in 2022
07
School milk program distributed 1.2 billion liters to 11 million students in 2022
08
Per capita butter consumption was 1.2 kg in 2022
09
Milk powder consumption in food industry was 300,000 tons in 2022
10
Plant-based milk alternatives consumption rose 25% to 500 million liters in 2022, impacting dairy demand
11
Urban households consumed 92% of Brazil's fluid milk in 2022
12
Cheese demand in pizzas and snacks drove 4% growth in 2022
13
Per capita fresh cheese (minas) consumption was 3 kg in Minas Gerais 2022
14
Total yogurt market volume was 1.8 billion liters in 2022
15
Dairy consumption in Northeast Brazil was 140 liters per capita, lowest nationally in 2022
16
Drinking milk sales volume fell 2% to 22 billion liters in 2022 due to inflation
17
Sweetened condensed milk consumption was 1.5 kg per capita in 2022
18
Ice cream milk equivalent consumption hit 4 kg per capita in 2022
19
Organic dairy consumption grew 15% to 200 million liters equivalent in 2022
20
Low-fat milk demand increased 10% to 8 billion liters in 2022
21
Regional disparity: South consumes 220 liters per capita vs 120 in North, 2022
22
Dairy in household budget was 8.5% of food spending in 2022
23
Fermented milk drinks consumption 12 liters per capita 2022
24
Total cheese imports for consumption equivalent to 100,000 tons in 2022
Interpretation
Consumption and Demand Interpretation
While Brazil's overall milk glass is half-empty with a slight dip in per capita drinking, its cheese plate is looking fuller and its yogurt cup is runneth over, proving the nation's dairy cravings are simply shifting shape rather than drying up.
02 · Category
Exports and Imports20 stats
01
Brazil exported 85,000 tons of milk powder in 2022, mainly to South America
02
Dairy exports value reached USD 300 million in 2022, up 15%
03
Cheese exports totaled 25,000 tons in 2022, primarily to Venezuela and Philippines
04
Brazil imported 250,000 tons of dairy products in 2022, 60% milk powder from New Zealand
05
Sweetened condensed milk exports were 40,000 tons in 2022 to Middle East
06
Brazil's dairy trade surplus was USD 50 million in 2022
07
Milk powder exports to Venezuela hit 30,000 tons in 2022
08
Imports of whey powder reached 50,000 tons for feed industry in 2022
09
Cheese imports from Argentina were 15,000 tons in 2022
10
Brazil exported 10,000 tons of butter to Africa in 2022
11
Total dairy import value USD 800 million in 2022
12
Skimmed milk powder imports 180,000 tons in 2022
13
Exports to China grew 20% to 5,000 tons dairy in 2022
14
Brazil's share of global dairy exports was 1.2% in 2022 by volume
15
Whole milk powder exports declined 10% to 20,000 tons in 2022 due to logistics
16
Dairy imports from EU totaled 30,000 tons in 2022, mainly premium cheeses
17
Export destinations: 40% South America, 25% Asia for Brazilian dairy 2022
18
Import tariffs on milk powder averaged 14.8% in 2022
19
Brazil exported 8,000 tons of yogurt to neighbors in 2022
20
Dairy trade volume with Mercosul was 100,000 tons in 2022
Interpretation
Exports and Imports Interpretation
Despite impressive sales of sweetened treats and cheese to our neighbors, Brazil's dairy story remains one of a heavyweight importer reluctantly powdering its nose with New Zealand's finest while still managing to squeak out a modest trade surplus.
03 · Category
Industry Players and Structure20 stats
01
Brazil has 1,200 dairy processing plants, with top 10 controlling 60% market share in 2022
02
Nestlé Brazil produced 5 billion liters milk equivalent in 2022
03
JBS acquired 3 dairy plants in 2022, boosting capacity to 2 billion liters/year
04
Itambé cooperative had 2.5 million associates supplying 4 billion liters in 2022
05
BRF dairy division revenue BRL 10 billion in 2022
06
70% of milk collected by cooperatives in South Brazil 2022
07
Tetra Pak supplies packaging to 80% of UHT milk producers in Brazil 2022
08
Laticínios Bela Vista processed 1.8 billion liters in 2022
09
Average dairy plant capacity 30 million liters/year, 1,000 large plants in 2022
10
Foreign investment in dairy USD 500 million in 2022, led by Danone
11
45% of producers are family farms under 50 cows in 2022
12
Aurora cooperative milk volume 1.2 billion liters 2022
13
Duas Rodas flavors 40% of Brazilian yogurts in 2022
14
Number of cooperatives 1,100 handling 50% milk in 2022
15
Vigor (Bunge) market share 12% in cheeses 2022
16
Small processors (<10M liters/year) 60% of plants but 20% volume 2022
17
Lactalis Brazil (Parmalat) capacity 3 billion liters 2022
18
Tech investment in farms: 20,000 with sensors 2022
19
Women lead 30% of dairy farms in Brazil 2022
20
Top 5 firms: Nestle 20%, Itambe 15%, Vigor 12%, Bela Vista 10%, Lactalis 8% share 2022
Interpretation
Industry Players and Structure Interpretation
While Brazil's dairy landscape presents a vast mosaic of 1,200 processors and a backbone of family farms, the milk is increasingly flowing through a powerful pipeline dominated by a handful of giants and cooperatives, all racing to bottle, brand, and export this white gold.
More related reading
04 · Category
Prices and Market Value22 stats
01
Raw milk producer price averaged BRL 2.25 per liter in Dec 2022
02
Retail price of fluid milk was BRL 5.80 per liter in 2022 average
03
Cheese wholesale price reached BRL 45/kg for mozzarella in 2022
04
Milk production costs rose 12% to BRL 2.40/liter in 2023 Q1
05
UHT milk retail price averaged BRL 6.20/liter in supermarkets 2022
06
Export price of skimmed milk powder was USD 3,200/ton FOB in 2022
07
Farmgate milk price in Minas Gerais was BRL 2.15/liter average 2022
08
Butter market price BRL 38/kg in 2022
09
Yogurt retail price averaged BRL 12/liter in 2022
10
Milk CPI index rose 8.5% in 2022
11
Sweetened condensed milk wholesale BRL 15/kg in 2022
12
Industrial milk price BRL 2.50/liter in São Paulo 2022
13
Cheese export price USD 4,500/ton in 2022
14
Feed cost represented 55% of milk production expenses at BRL 1.20/liter 2022
15
Retail pasteurized milk price BRL 5.50/liter average 2022
16
Milk powder import CIF price USD 3,800/ton 2022
17
Minas cheese farm price BRL 35/kg in 2022
18
Dairy sector revenue totaled BRL 150 billion in 2022
19
Labor costs in dairy production 15% of total at BRL 0.35/liter 2022
20
Whole milk powder wholesale BRL 25/kg 2022
21
Fuel costs impacted milk transport by 20% increase to BRL 0.15/liter 2022
22
Market value of Brazilian dairy industry USD 25 billion in 2022
Interpretation
Prices and Market Value Interpretation
Brazil's dairy farmers are getting squeezed like a teat, selling raw milk for BRL 2.25 while consumers are paying up to BRL 6.20 at retail, with most of the markup getting digested by the costs of feed, fuel, and everything in between.
05 · Category
Production Statistics29 stats
01
In 2022, Brazil produced 35.6 billion liters of raw milk, marking a 2.5% increase from the previous year
02
Brazil's milk production reached 24.4 million metric tons in 2021, positioning it as the world's fourth-largest producer
03
The state of Minas Gerais accounted for 26.5% of Brazil's total milk production in 2022 with 9.4 billion liters
04
Paraná state produced 3.2 billion liters of milk in 2022, representing 9% of national output
05
Average daily milk production per cow in Brazil was 5.8 liters in 2022, up from 5.5 liters in 2020
06
Brazil had 1.2 million dairy farms in 2022, a decline of 5% from 2020 due to consolidation
07
Raw milk production costs in Brazil averaged BRL 2.10 per liter in 2022
08
In 2023 Q1, Brazil's monthly milk production averaged 2.9 billion liters
09
Southern Brazil contributes 45% of national milk production, led by Rio Grande do Sul with 4.1 billion liters in 2022
10
Brazil's buffalo milk production was 450 million liters in 2022, mainly in Pará state
11
Milk production in Goiás state reached 2.8 billion liters in 2022, up 4%
12
Santa Catarina produced 2.9 billion liters of milk in 2022
13
Brazil's total dairy cow herd was 16.5 million heads in 2022
14
Average farm size for dairy in Brazil increased to 12 hectares in 2022 from 10 in 2019
15
Industrial milk processing capacity in Brazil was 40 billion liters annually in 2022
16
Brazil's fluid milk production was 28 billion liters in 2022
17
Pasteurized milk output in Minas Gerais hit 7.5 billion liters in 2022
18
Brazil imported 120,000 tons of milk powder in 2022 to supplement local production
19
Concentrated milk production reached 1.2 billion liters in 2022
20
Organic milk production in Brazil grew to 150 million liters in 2022
21
São Paulo state milk production was 2.1 billion liters in 2022, down 1%
22
Brazil's milk yield per hectare improved to 4,200 liters in 2022
23
Total cheese milk equivalent production was 8 billion liters in 2022
24
Yogurt base milk production hit 2.5 billion liters in 2022
25
Butterfat content in Brazilian milk averaged 3.6% in 2022
26
Brazil's A2 milk production started at 50 million liters in 2022 pilot programs
27
Milk production forecast for 2023 is 36.5 billion liters, up 2.5%
28
Northeast Brazil milk production was 3.8 billion liters in 2022 despite droughts
29
Automated milking systems on 15,000 Brazilian dairy farms in 2022
Interpretation
Production Statistics Interpretation
Brazil's dairy sector is moo-ving forward with impressive scale and technological adoption, yet it's clearly being pulled in two directions: consolidating into fewer, more productive farms while still relying on a vast bovine workforce whose per-cow output remains, frankly, a bit udderly modest on the global stage.
Reference
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APA
Alexander Schmidt. (2026, February 13). Brazil Dairy Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/brazil-dairy-industry-statistics
MLA
Alexander Schmidt. "Brazil Dairy Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/brazil-dairy-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Alexander Schmidt. 2026. "Brazil Dairy Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/brazil-dairy-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
54 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level