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Dairy Product Manufacturing in Germany Industry Data and Analysis
New Chinese tariffs of between 7.4 and 11.7 per cent on selected cheeses and high-fat dairy products are exacerbating the downward trend in German dairy exports to China, which has been ongoing since 2021; however, they affect only a limited part of the export portfolio, as whole milk accounts for the bulk of the volume. Companies are likely to gradually reduce their exports in categories subject to tariffs and shift more towards other third-country markets or the EU internal market, whilst prioritising products for which demand in China is less price-sensitive. At the same time, growing health and environmental awareness is driving sales of organic products. Organic yoghurt and organic cheese recorded significant volume growth in 2025, whilst organic milk deliveries and producer prices reached new highs, strengthening margins and investment incentives in the organic segment. Dairies are therefore expanding their organic ranges, securing raw milk through longer-term contracts and investing in regional and premium ranges. The increased supply of raw milk with a higher fat content led to a surplus of butter and falling butter prices in 2025. This put pressure on the dairies’ profit margins. In March 2026, stronger demand for packaged butter and block butter led to higher butter prices, thereby temporarily improving the profit margins of milk processors. Industry turnover rose by an average of 1.6 per cent per year between 2021 and 2026. For the current year, industry turnover is expected to grow by 0.4 per cent to 47.2 billion euros.
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What's included in this industry analysis
IBISWorld's research coverage on the Dairy Product Manufacturing industry in Germany includes market sizing, forecasting, data and analysis from 2016-2031. The most recent publication was released September 2026.
About this industry
What's this industry report about?
The Dairy Product Manufacturing industry in Germany operates under the WZ industry code C10.51DE. Companies in this sector are involved in milk processing. This includes the production of fresh milk and milk-based drinks, butter, cream, yoghurt, cheese, quark and whey, as well as milk sugar and milk powder. This does not include the production of ice cream or the production of raw milk. Related terms covered in the Dairy Product Manufacturing industry in Germany include kefir, casein and prolong procedure.
What's included in this industry?
Products and services covered in Dairy Product Manufacturing industry in Germany include Cheese and quark, Milk and Buttermilk and yoghurt.
What companies are included in this industry?
Companies covered in the Dairy Product Manufacturing industry in Germany include Unternehmensgruppe Theo Müller S. e. c. s., DMK Deutsches Milchkontor GmbH and Arla Foods Deutschland GmbH.
Performance
What's included in the Performance chapter?
The Performance chapter covers detailed analysis, datasets, detailed current performance, sources of volatility and an outlook with forecasts for the Dairy Product Manufacturing industry in Germany.
Questions answered in this chapter include what's driving current industry performance, what influences industry volatility, how do successful businesses overcome volatility, what's driving the industry outlook. This analysis is supported with data and statistics on industry revenues, costs, profits, businesses and employees.
Products & Markets
What's included in the Products and Markets chapter?
The Products and Markets chapter covers detailed product and service segmentation, analysis of major markets and international trade data for the for the Dairy Product Manufacturing industry in Germany.
Questions answered in this chapter include how are the industry's products and services performing, what are innovations in industry products and services, what products or services do successful businesses offer and what's influencing demand from the industry's markets. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by product and service segmentation and major markets.
Geographic Breakdown
What's included in the Geographic Breakdown chapter?
The Geographic Breakdown chapter covers detailed analysis and datasets on regional performance of the Dairy Product Manufacturing industry in Germany.
Questions answered in this chapter include where are industry businesses located and how do businesses use location to their advantage. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by location.
Competitive Forces
What's included in the Competitive Forces chapter?
The Competitive Forces chapter covers the concentration, barriers to entry and supplier and buyer profiles in the Dairy Product Manufacturing industry in Germany. This includes data and statistics on industry market share concentration, barriers to entry, substitute products and buyer & supplier power.
Questions answered in this chapter include what impacts the industry's market share concentration, how do successful businesses handle concentration, what challenges do potential industry entrants face, how can potential entrants overcome barriers to entry, what are substitutes for industry services, how do successful businesses compete with substitutes and what power do buyers and suppliers have over the industry and how do successful businesses manage buyer & supplier power.
Companies
What's included in the Companies chapter?
The Companies chapter covers Key Takeaways, Market Share and Companies in the Dairy Product Manufacturing industry in Germany. This includes data and analysis on companies operating in the industry that hold a market share greater than 5%.
Questions answered in this chapter include what companies have a meaningful market share and how each company is performing.
External Environment
What's included in the External Environment chapter?
The External Environment chapter covers Key Takeaways, External Drivers, Regulation & Policy and Assistance in the Dairy Product Manufacturing industry in Germany. This includes data and statistics on factors impacting industry revenue such as economic indicators, regulation, policy and assistance programs.
Questions answered in this chapter include what demographic and macroeconomic factors impact the industry, what regulations impact the industry, what assistance is available to this industry.
Financial Benchmarks
What's included in the Financial Benchmarks chapter?
The Financial Benchmarks chapter covers Key Takeaways, Cost Structure, Financial Ratios, Valuation Multiples and Key Ratios in the Dairy Product Manufacturing industry in Germany. This includes financial data and statistics on industry performance including key cost inputs, profitability, key financial ratios and enterprise value multiples.
Questions answered in this chapter include what trends impact industry costs and how financial ratios have changed overtime.
Industry Data
What's included in the Industry Data chapter?
The Industry Data chapter includes 10 years of historical data with 5 years of forecast data covering statistics like revenue, industry value add, establishments, enterprises, employment and wages in the Dairy Product Manufacturing industry in Germany.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the market size of the Dairy Product Manufacturing industry in Germany in 2026?
The market size of the Dairy Product Manufacturing industry in Germany is €47.2bn in 2026.
How many businesses are there in the Dairy Product Manufacturing industry in Germany in 2026?
There are 459 businesses in the Dairy Product Manufacturing industry in Germany, which has grown at a CAGR of 0.9 % between 2021 and 2026.
How may import tariffs affect the Dairy Product Manufacturing industry in Germany?
The Dairy Product Manufacturing industry in Germany is likely to be impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a moderate share of industry revenue.
How may export tariffs affect the Dairy Product Manufacturing industry in Germany?
The Dairy Product Manufacturing industry in Germany is likely to be significantly impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a high share of industry revenue.
Has the Dairy Product Manufacturing industry in Germany grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the Dairy Product Manufacturing industry in Germany has been growing at a CAGR of 1.6 % between 2021 and 2026.
What is the forecast growth of the Dairy Product Manufacturing industry in Germany over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, the Dairy Product Manufacturing industry in Germany is expected to grow.
What are the biggest companies in the Dairy Product Manufacturing industry in Germany?
The biggest companies operating in the Dairy Product Manufacturing industry in Germany are Unternehmensgruppe Theo Müller S. e. c. s., DMK Deutsches Milchkontor GmbH and Arla Foods Deutschland GmbH
What does the Dairy Product Manufacturing industry in Germany include?
Cheese and quark and Milk are part of the Dairy Product Manufacturing industry in Germany.
Which companies have the highest market share in the Dairy Product Manufacturing industry in Germany?
The company holding the most market share in the Dairy Product Manufacturing industry in Germany is Unternehmensgruppe Theo Müller S. e. c. s..
How competitive is the Dairy Product Manufacturing industry in Germany?
The level of competition is high and increasing in the Dairy Product Manufacturing industry in Germany.
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