While traditional milk consumption has remained stable in recent years, the dairy drinks market faces challenges in stagnating volume growth and fluctuating prices. However, the cream segment is seeing notable growth, driven by Germans’ increase in at-home cooking.
Health perceptions are changing milk consumption, especially when it comes to fat content, creating a generational divide between full-fat and skimmed milk. However, despite shifting usage patterns, Germans remain confused about what types of milk are best for them. Furthermore, category users prioritise high quality in dairy over other types of food and drink, leaning towards products with a stronger environmental and regional focus.
With processing concerns looming, dairy brands have the opportunity to capitalise on their products’ natural image and perceived superior taste to attract consumers, especially former plant-based users.
This report looks at the following areas:
- Shifting consumption patterns between whole, semi-skimmed and skimmed milk in 2025
- Changes in the frequency of cream usage, with at-home cooking driving the shift
- Attributes consumers associate with high-quality dairy drinks, milk and cream
- Attitudes and behaviours toward dairy drinks, milk and cream, with health confusion and processing concerns motivating consumption
Germans value high-quality, locally produced dairy. Embrace transparency as consumers express confusion on health considerations, such as processing concerns.
Hope Banks Petrikowski, Analyst – Food & Drink
Market Definitions
This Report covers products in the dairy drinks, milk and cream category. This includes flavoured milk drinks, white milk, and cream products. The market size covers fresh and shelf-stable milks, white dairy milk (liquid and powdered) and flavoured milk.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- What you need to know
- Opportunities
- Market size & forecast for milk and milk drinks
- Value sales expected to grow with increasing prices
- Graph 1: retail value sales of milk and milk drinks, 2019-30
- Volume sales to trend slightly downward through 2030
- Graph 2: retail volume sales of milk and milk drinks, 2019-30
- Outlook
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OPPORTUNITIES
- Showcase quality to target locally and eco-driven consumers
- Strike a balance between transparency and sustainability
- Emphasise German origin to connect with consumers
- Position dairy as the natural choice for processing sceptics and health-motivated consumers
- Engage younger consumers with fat- and lactose-free varieties
- Lean into dairy’s minimally processed image
- Broaden consumption occasions with exciting flavours
- Reimagine dairy drinks and cream with decadent and savoury flavours
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THE CONSUMER
- Usage of milk and milk drinks
- Milk and milk drink consumption: not much has changed
- Graph 3: usage of milk and milk drinks in the last three months, by type, 2022 vs 2025
- Lactose-free milks and creams hold potential for consumers
- Semi-skimmed milk sees waning consumption in 2025
- Graph 4: usage of animal milk in the last three months, by fat content, 2022 vs 2025
- Younger consumers increasingly prioritise skimmed milk
- Plant milk continues to see more growth than traditional dairy
- For returning plant milk consumers, natural is key
- Purchase of milk
- Most Germans buy UHT milk
- Quality-oriented consumers tend to reach for fresh milk
- For parents, fresh is best
- Usage of cream
- Cream usage is on the rise
- Overall cream consumption grows from 2022
- Graph 5: cream usage in the last three months, by type, 2019-25
- Expand cream’s usage occasions with innovative flavours
- Indicators for quality in milk, milk drinks and cream
- To consumers, quality means local origin and ethical farming
- Graph 6: attributes associated with quality in dairy and plant-based milk, milk drinks and cream, 2025
- Local is worth more for Germans
- Private label prioritises animal welfare claims
- Private label can tap into value for money
- Attitudes & behaviours towards dairy drinks, milk and cream
- Consumers find it difficult to differentiate on health
- The tides are turning on low-fat dairy’s healthiness
- Graph 7: agreement that low-fat milk is healthier than whole milk, 2018 vs 2025
- Germans have reservations about processing, even if it offers benefits
- Graph 8: behaviours towards milk and milk drinks, 2025
- Highlight dairy’s protein quality halo
- Taste plays a strong role in perceptions of dairy
- When it comes to milk, taste reigns supreme
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INNOVATION
- Drop in flavoured milk launches at the start of 2025
- Graph 9: milk and cream* launches, by sub-category, 2020-25
- Dessert flavours can provide decadent inspiration
- Jump in high-protein claims from 2022
- Concerns about saturated fat and processing open doors for buttermilk
- Lactose-free launches rise in the first half of 2025
- Additive-/preservative-free dairy drinks have unrealised potential
- Graph 10: milk and cream* launches, by select natural claims, 2020-25
- Fresh milk dominates new product launches
- Graph 11: milk and cream* launches, by storage type, 2020-25
- Regionally produced dairy has a strong presence
- Sustainable habitat and environmentally friendly packaging claims see steady gains
- Graph 12: milk and cream* launches, by select eco claims, 2020-25
- Smaller packs can pique consumer interest
- Graph 13: milk* launches by top three total pack size, 2021-25
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MARKET
- Market drivers
- Food prices remain a concern, despite recovering economy
- Graph 14: consumer price index for food, whole milk & semi-skimmed milk, 2020-25
- Milk alternatives present challenges and opportunities for dairy brands
- UPF concerns guide consumption
- Processing concerns can shape perception of dairy drinks
- Eco transparency is a growing concern
- Farmer protests leave a lasting impact on consumers’ relationship with food
- Market size
- Milk’s value growth dips as volume sales flatten
- Graph 15: retail value and volume sales for milk and milk drinks, 2019-24
- Flavoured milk rises as fresh milk loses out
- Graph 16: annual value and volume growth of retail sales for milk, by segment, 2024
- Shelf-stable milk maintains a steady category stronghold
- Graph 17: retail value sales of milk and milk drinks, by segment, 2022-24
- Graph 18: retail volume sales of milk and milk drinks, by segment, 2022-24
- Market forecast
- Value sales expected to grow with increasing prices
- Graph 19: retail value sales of milk and milk drinks, 2019-30
- Volume sales to trend slightly downward through 2030
- Graph 20: retail volume sales of milk and milk drinks, 2019-30
- Forecast – note on US trade disruption
- Impact of US trade disruption for the dairy drinks market
- Market share
- Hochwald sees a slight jump in value share
- Despite consumers’ price concerns, private label loses volume
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APPENDIX
- Report scope and definitions
- Market definition
- Abbreviations
- Methodology – consumer research
- Consumer research methodology
- A note on language
- Methodology – Market size and forecast
- Forecast methodology
- Forecast methodology – fan chart
- Market size – value
- Market size – volume
- Market forecast and prediction intervals – value
- Market forecast and prediction intervals – volume
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