Mintel Reveals the World’s Cheesiest Nations

With a world cheese market that’s nonetheless rising, cheese has lengthy been a dietary staple for communities all over the world. Although its precise origins are unknown, cheese has a historical past relationship again to round 8000 BCE. There are references to cheesemaking in historical Greek mythology and in imagery in historical Egyptian tomb murals, so we are able to say with confidence that individuals all around the world have been having fun with consuming cheese for a lot of tons of of years.

To get an understanding of simply how well-liked cheese is all over the world in 2024, Mintel has collated information to discover and analyse which nations love cheese essentially the most. 

We’ve taken a have a look at the nations the place cheeses originate, which import essentially the most cheese, and that are essentially the most enthusiastic about cheese. Utilizing this information, now we have scored every nation out of 100 primarily based on their imports, unique cheese manufacturing, and Google searches for ‘cheese’ in native languages, and ranked our very personal high ten. Be part of Mintel as we reveal the world’s cheesiest nations.

With 38 cheese varieties originating within the Netherlands, together with world favourites like gouda and edam, it ought to come as no shock that the Netherlands is the primary nation of cheese lovers on this planet! Nevertheless, with a comparatively small inhabitants of 17 million, it’s spectacular that the Netherlands has overwhelmed a lot larger nations to the highest spot. Their small inhabitants imports greater than $14 value of cheese per individual every year, making them the most important cheese consumers of any nation.

The Netherlands secured their repute by having essentially the most Google searches for ‘cheese’ in native languages per capita out of all of the nations on this planet. Not solely are they trying to find cheese, however they purchase loads of it too. Within the Netherlands, a mean of three.1kg of cheese is imported per individual every year, making them the cheesiest nation on this planet.

With a staggering commerce worth of just about 375 million USD, France actually places its cash the place its mouth is in relation to loving cheese. Plus, with 246 kinds of cheese hailing from France, together with staples like brie, roquefort, and camembert, France is a significant participant in cheese manufacturing globally. To say that the French love cheese can be underselling it – with over 90,000 Google searches month-to-month for ‘fromage’, it’s clear that France deserves its place because the second cheesiest nation. Nevertheless, Mintel reported in 2024 {that a} quarter of French customers mentioned that they have been consuming much less cheese on account of environmental considerations, so maybe we are able to count on to see France’s place alter on this listing within the close to future.

As a nation that isn’t well-known for producing its personal cheeses, not like another nations on this listing, Belgium could also be a shock look. With solely 13 cheeses hailing from Belgium, and a comparatively low stage of Google searches every month, Belgium might be mistaken for a comparatively non-cheesy nation.

Nevertheless, with a mean commerce worth per individual of greater than $11, they arrive in second to the Netherlands when it comes to worth per capita. To take a look at that one other method, Belgians import greater than 1.6kg of cheese per individual every year – rating second on this planet. So, it might be a small nation, however it’s a nation of cheese lovers!

Initially, the USA is without doubt one of the cheesiest nations on this planet merely due to what number of cheeses they’ve on provide! There are 523 cheeses which originate within the USA, in order that’s loads of choices for all palates. 

The USA has the third-largest inhabitants (333 million individuals) of the nations we analysed, behind solely India and China. So, given the extraordinarily excessive inhabitants, it’s shocking that the USA isn’t the world’s greatest importer of cheese. In truth, it falls behind 29 different nations whose commerce worth is larger than that of the USA, together with a lot smaller nations like Austria, Lebanon, and Norway. 

Nevertheless, with the vast majority of People saying they haven’t heard of cheeses like paneer and halloumi, however 96% consuming Cheddar, the comparatively low commerce worth might communicate to extra native tastes. With greater than 5 hundred American cheese varieties, it appears that evidently People choose to devour their very own cheese moderately than imported varieties.

One other European cheese-loving nation, Austria ranks fourth on this planet for commerce worth per capita. Spending greater than $64 million on importing cheeses per 12 months, and with 41 Austrian cheese varieties to take pleasure in, together with bergkäse and alpenkäse, it’s clear that Austria is a nation desirous to take pleasure in cheese, each in selection and abundance. 

Well-known for cheese like Cheddar and Stilton, the UK has earned its spot on the listing of the world’s cheesiest nations. Reaching the identical variety of Google Searches per 12 months as France, however with a inhabitants of 1 million fewer individuals, the individuals of the UK present a transparent love for cheese. This love is about to develop, having already grown by 44% within the final 5 years, as Mintel forecasts UK cheese gross sales to succeed in £4.5 billion by 2028.

However how does this love translate into monetary worth, past search curiosity? The UK has a commerce worth per capita of round $2.15 – a comparatively low worth for a nation with an evident curiosity in cheese. Equally to the USA, the UK has an ideal many native cheeses – 261 in whole. With 70% of British customers buying cheddar, and an extra 36% buying regional British cheeses, it appears that evidently cheese lovers within the UK choose to eat cheeses from the UK than to import.

With Switzerland rating because the seventh cheesiest nation on this planet, Europe is represented as soon as extra in its love of cheese!

Switzerland is particularly prolific in importing cheese, rating third highest on this planet for commerce worth per capita; falling simply behind the Netherlands and Belgium. This is likely to be barely shocking contemplating Swiss cheese is a globally well-known selection, however with 32 kinds of cheese coming from Switzerland, they’re comparatively low when it comes to in-house manufacturing. Regardless of Swiss cheese being a beloved selection, it appears Swiss customers choose to import extra unique cheeses from different nations.

With cheese consumption significantly constant throughout Scandinavia, Sweden secures eighth place and is adopted intently by Denmark after which Finland within the listing of the world’s most cheese-loving nations. Regardless of coming in our closing slot in our cheese-loving listing, Finland spends essentially the most on importing cheeses per capita, with Sweden and Denmark spending between $4-5 per individual. Additionally, Finland spends $5.64 per individual, which places them forward of Sweden and Denmark when it comes to common spend.

Nevertheless, Finland loses factors of their on-line curiosity in cheese, in addition to their very own cheese manufacturing. Finland’s cheese-related Google Searches whole round a 3rd fewer than Denmark’s monthly, with Denmark demonstrating the third-highest month-to-month search quantity. This means to us that Finland shows the least on-line curiosity in cheese of the three nations.

Lastly, Sweden takes the (cheese)cake with their very own cheese manufacturing. There are 25 cheese varieties with origins in Sweden, in comparison with solely 16 in Denmark and 6 in Finland.

So, we all know which nations are the most important cheese lovers general – however which nations spend essentially the most on importing their favorite dairy merchandise? Let’s dive into the UN Comtrade information to analyse which nations are importing essentially the most cheese.

France is the most important importer of cheese on this planet, spending a complete of $374 million on cheese every year. With a small inhabitants and loads of native cheeses, it is a staggering quantity. This speaks to a rising development in France of consuming cheese as a cheap various to meat, with almost half of French customers doing so.

Not showing in Mintel’s general listing of Prime 10 Cheesiest Nations, Germany is the truth is the second largest importer of cheeses on this planet. Germany spends $294 million on cheese imports per 12 months.

With solely 11 kinds of cheese originating in Mexico, there’s a love of cheese that have to be imported. That is why Mexico is spending $276 million on cheese imports per 12 months.

The cheesiest nation on this planet, the Netherlands imports an entire lot of cheese – totalling a spend of $259 million per 12 months.

Regardless of not that includes in Mintel’s Prime 10 Cheesiest Nations, China imports a whopping $186 million value of cheese every year to accommodate their huge inhabitants.

Within the high spot for cheese imports by weight, Mexico brings in 56 million kilograms of cheese every year.

Our cheesiest nation imports virtually as a lot as Mexico, which has seven instances the inhabitants. The Netherlands imports 55 million kilograms of cheese per 12 months.

The second cheesiest nation on this planet is third when it comes to imports by weight, bringing in 52 million kilograms of cheese per 12 months.

Germany secures its spot as an enormous importer of cheese, in weight in addition to commerce worth,  importing 45 million kilograms of cheese per 12 months. 

With such a big inhabitants, it’s no shock that whilst a comparatively non-cheesy nation, China nonetheless imports 33 million kilograms of cheese per 12 months.

Being a nation of cheese lovers isn’t nearly how a lot you purchase – it’s additionally about how you’re in cheese. Let’s take a look at which nations search cheese-related queries essentially the most, utilizing Google Advertisements Search information. 

With a big inhabitants of cheese lovers, and rating fourth on our Prime Ten listing of cheese-loving nations, the individuals of the USA use Google to seek for cheese greater than 246,000 instances every month. That’s equal to six.6 instances per individual.

Though India isn’t one of many world’s cheesiest nations, paneer cheese is a staple of many Indian diets as a supply of protein and an alternative choice to meat in meals. This might be why Indians search cheese-related queries 175,000 instances monthly.

Though Japan ranks low on the listing of cheesiest nations on this planet, at twenty ninth, they seek for cheese 110,000 instances monthly, inserting them above the UK in cheese-related search queries.

One of many greatest customers and producers of cheese on this planet, the individuals of the UK are additionally enthusiastic about looking on-line for cheese! 90,500 instances monthly, to be precise.

With the identical month-to-month search quantity because the UK, however a bigger inhabitants, France is available in at fifth, when it comes to the nations mostly trying to find cheese on-line.

Once more trying to find cheese-related queries 90,500 instances monthly, however with a a lot bigger inhabitants, Brazil ranks simply behind the UK and France in search whole.

With a purpose to decide the world’s greatest cheese lovers we created a seedlist of cheese-producing nations from cheese.com. We scraped cheese.com to get a listing of what number of cheeses are produced by every nation on their listing.

We used the newest UN Comtrade information on imports of Cheese and Curd for every of those nations. We took information on Commerce Worth and Web Imports (kg).

We then needed to search out out which nation searches for ‘cheese’ essentially the most. We then took a listing of the official languages of every of those nations and translated the phrase for ‘cheese’. We then used these translations to learn how many instances, on common, every nation looked for cheese every month between Jan 2023 – Dec 2023.

We additionally collected information from the World Financial institution to get the newest inhabitants figures for every nation.