Industry Statistics and Trends
Market size and recent performance (2015-2030)
Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 4.5 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated £9.0bn in 2025.
Trends and Insights
The milk price reset has reshaped supply dynamics without crashing volumes
- According to AHDB, the average UK farm-gate milk price dropped to 35.2 pence per litre in March 2024, down from the peak of 51.5 pence per litre in December 2022. While prices have eased, they remain well above pre-2020 levels, indicating a stabilisation rather than a collapse. The reset reflects moderating input cost pressures following a period of sharp rises; for example, industrial electricity prices surged by 124% in 2023 and the plastic packaging tax climbed to £211 per tonne, squeezing processor margins and pushing retail prices higher.
- Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Source: IBISWorld
Industry outlook (2025-2030)
Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.
Trends and Insights
Branded and functional dairy formats are driving revenue in a stagnant volume market
- Cow milk sales are expected to remain flat over the coming years, continuing a long-term decline in cow’s milk consumption. According to AHDB, cow milk volumes fell by 1.9% in October 2024 as consumers opted for perceived healthier alternatives, such as oat and almond-based milk.
Biggest companies in the Milk & Cream Production in the UK
| Company | Market Share (%)
2026 | Revenue (£m)
2026 |
|---|---|---|
Muller UK & Ireland Group LLP | 2,192.9 | |
Arla Foods Ltd | 803.0 | |
Dale Farm Ltd | 186.5 |
To view the market share and analysis for all 4 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.
Products & Services Segmentation
Source: IBISWorld
Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Semi-skimmed milk, Whole milk and Flavoured milk. Semi-skimmed milk is the largest segment of the Milk & Cream Production in the UK.
Trends and Insights
Semi-skimmed milk remains the top seller, though full-fat is catching up
- Semi-skimmed milk contains between 1.5% and 1.8% fat, meeting the UK’s low-fat threshold for liquids. It retains the full calcium content of whole milk but has about half of the A and E vitamins.
- More insights available in the full report
Table of Contents
About this industry
Industry definition
Companies in this industry produce fresh, pasteurised, sterilised, homogenised and ultra-heat-treated milk. They also produce cream from fresh, pasteurised, sterilised or homogenised milk. This industry covers dairy products only and excludes non-dairy alternatives.
What's included in this industry?
Products and services covered in the Milk & Cream Production industry in the United Kingdom include Whole milk, Semi-skimmed milk , Skimmed milk, Flavoured milk, Condensed milk, Ultra-heat-treated milk, Lactose-free milk and Cream.Companies
Companies covered in the Milk & Cream Production industry in the United Kingdom include Muller UK & Ireland Group LLP, Arla Foods Ltd and Dale Farm Ltd.Purchase this report to view all 4 major companies in this industry.
Related Terms
Related terms covered in the Milk & Cream Production industry in the United Kingdom include pasteurisation, homogenisation and farm-gate price.Industry Code
SIC 10.51/1 - Milk & Cream Production in the UK
Performance
Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.
Analyst insights
Revenue volatility remains elevated due to supermarket pricing and seasonal supply shifts. Milk and cream producers face more volatility than broader manufacturers, with peri...
In this chapter (4)
- Current Performance
- Outlook
- Volatility
- Life Cycle
Key metrics
- Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
- Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
- Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
- Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business
Charts
- Revenue, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
- Employees, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
- Businesses, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
- Profit, including historical (2015-2025)
- Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
- Industry Life Cycle
Detailed analysis
- Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
- Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
- Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
- How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.
Products and Markets
Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.
Analyst insight
Retail remains the primary market, but plant-based options eat into shelf space. While cow milk still dominates retail volumes, supermarket listings for oat and almond drinks...
In this chapter
- Products & Services
- Major Markets
- International Trade
Key metrics
- Largest market segment and value in 2025
- Product innovation level
- Total imports, level and trend
- Total exports, level and trend
- Trade Balance
Charts
- Products & services segmentation in 2025
- Major market segmentation in 2025
- International trade, including imports by country and exports by country
Detailed analysis
- Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
- Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
- Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
- Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services
- Recent trends in import and export volumes, country of origin or destination, and expected future trends
Geographic Breakdown
Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.
Analyst insights
Milk processors are clustering near dairy-rich regions to secure supply and cut emissions. Sites in the North West, Wales and the South West offer proximity to grazing herds,...
In this chapter (1)
- Business Locations
Charts
- Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each region
- Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2025
Tables
- Number and share of establishments in each region in 2025
- Number and share of revenue each region accounts for in 2025
- Number and share of wages each region accounts for in 2025
- Number and share of employees in each region in 2025
Detailed analysis
- Geographic spread of the industry across Europe, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
- Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage
Competitive Forces
Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.
Analyst insights
Large producers are consolidating control of supermarket supply.Groups like Müller and Arla are securing high-volume retail contracts and expanding capacity, squeezing out sma...
In this chapter (4)
- Concentration
- Barriers to Entry
- Substitutes
- Buyer & Supplier Analysis
Key metrics
- Industry concentration level
- Industry competition level and trend
- Barriers to entry level and trend
- Substitutes level and trend
- Buyer power level and trend
- Supplier power level and trend
Charts
- Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2020-2025
- Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart
Detailed analysis
- Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
- Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
- Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
- Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
- Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
- Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
- Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
- Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
- Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.
Companies
Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.
Analyst insights
Sustainability and logistics upgrades are core to Müller’s growth strategy. Zero-emission delivery vehicles, on-site energy savings and supermarket-linked carbon targets are ...
In this chapter
- Market Share Concentration
- Companies
- Company Spotlights
Charts
- Industry market share by company in 2021 through 2025
- Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2025
- Overview of Muller UK & Ireland Group LLP's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025
- Overview of Arla Foods Ltd's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025
- Overview of Dale Farm Ltd's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025
- Overview of revenue, market share and profit margin trend for one additional company
Detailed analysis
- Description and key data for Muller UK & Ireland Group LLP, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description and key data for Arla Foods Ltd, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description and key data for Dale Farm Ltd, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description, key data and performance trends for one additional company
External Environment
Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.
Analyst insights
Assurance schemes protect milk safety in transit. The Dairy Transport Assurance Scheme certifies hygiene and traceability from farm to processor. Its 2024 updates reduced con...
In this chapter
- External Drivers
- Regulation & Policy
- Assistance
Key metrics
- Regulation & policy level and trend
- Assistance level and trend
Charts
- Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2015-2030)
- Assistance historical data and forecast (2015-2030)
Detailed analysis
- Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
- Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
- Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.
Financial Benchmarks
View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time.
Analyst insights
Profits are under pressure from energy and input costs. Margins have tightened as electricity prices, plastic taxes, and supermarket price cuts eroded the slim gap between mi...
In this chapter
- Cost Structure
- Financial Ratios
- Key Ratios
Key metrics
- Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
- Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
- Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
- Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio
Charts
- Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
- Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
- Investment vs. share of economy
Data tables
- Liquidity Ratios (2019-2023)
- Coverage Ratios (2019-2023)
- Leverage Ratios (2019-2023)
- Operating Ratios (2019-2023)
- Assets (2019-2023)
- Liabilities (2019-2023)
- Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2015-2030)
- Revenue per Employee (2015-2030)
- Revenue per Enterprise (2015-2030)
- Employees per Establishment (2015-2030)
- Employees per Enterprise (2015-2030)
- Average Wage (2015-2030)
- Wages/Revenue (2015-2030)
- Establishments per Enterprise (2015-2030)
- IVA/Revenue (2015-2030)
- Imports/Demand (2015-2030)
- Exports/Revenue (2015-2030)
Detailed analysis
- Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability
Key Statistics
Industry Data
Data Tables
Including values and annual change:
- Revenue (2015-2030)
- IVA (2015-2030)
- Establishments (2015-2030)
- Enterprises (2015-2030)
- Employment (2015-2030)
- Exports (2015-2030)
- Imports (2015-2030)
- Wages (2015-2030)
Top Questions Answered
Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.
What is the market size of the Milk & Cream Production industry in the United Kingdom in 2025?
The market size of the Milk & Cream Production industry in the United Kingdom is £9.0bn in 2025.
How many businesses are there in the Milk & Cream Production industry in the United Kingdom in 2025?
There are 86 businesses in the Milk & Cream Production industry in the United Kingdom, which has grown at a CAGR of 1.5 % between 2020 and 2025.
How may import tariffs affect the Milk & Cream Production industry in the United Kingdom?
The Milk & Cream Production industry in the United Kingdom is unlikely to be materially impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
How may export tariffs affect the Milk & Cream Production industry in the United Kingdom?
The Milk & Cream Production industry in the United Kingdom is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
Has the Milk & Cream Production industry in the United Kingdom grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the Milk & Cream Production industry in the United Kingdom has been growing at a CAGR of 4.5 % between 2020 and 2025.
What is the forecast growth of the Milk & Cream Production industry in the United Kingdom over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, the Milk & Cream Production industry in the United Kingdom is expected to grow.
What are the biggest companies in the Milk & Cream Production industry in the United Kingdom?
The biggest companies operating in the Milk & Cream Production industry in the United Kingdom are Muller UK & Ireland Group LLP, Arla Foods Ltd and Dale Farm Ltd
What does the Milk & Cream Production industry in the United Kingdom include?
Whole milk and Semi-skimmed milk are part of the Milk & Cream Production industry in the United Kingdom.
Which companies have the highest market share in the Milk & Cream Production industry in the United Kingdom?
The company holding the most market share in the Milk & Cream Production industry in the United Kingdom is Muller UK & Ireland Group LLP.
How competitive is the Milk & Cream Production industry in the United Kingdom?
The level of competition is high and increasing in the Milk & Cream Production industry in the United Kingdom.
Methodology
How are IBISWorld reports created?
IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.
Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.
IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.
What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?
Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.
Key data sources in the UK include:
- Office for National Statistics
- Office for Budget Responsibility
- Bank of England
Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.
These sources include:
- Industry and trade associations
- Industry federations or regulators
- Major industry players annual or quarterly filings
Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.
How does IBISWorld forecast its data?
IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.
IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.
Learn more about our methodology and data sourcing on the Help Center.
