ERS: Whole milk sales grew in 2024
Hagstrom Report Follow
Ahead of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s pro-whole milk campaign, whole milk sales grew in 2024 while all milk sales continued to decline, according to a chart by the Agriculture Department’s Economic Research Service.
The growth occurred before Kennedy’s campaign in favor of drinking whole milk that started after President Trump took office and he was confirmed.
“Total fluid milk sales have declined over the past 15 years, falling from a peak at about 55,433 million pounds in 2009 to 43,179 million pounds in 2024,” ERS explained.
“This shift represents a 22% decrease, notwithstanding a modest increase from 2023 to 2024,” ERS said.
“Factors contributing to the decline include a falling proportion of young children in the U.S. population, the increasing availability of alternatives, and changing consumer preferences. Despite the broader downward trend in total milk sales, whole milk’s share of the market has grown.
“After being the leading category in the early 2000s, its share dropped to a low of 26% in 2012 but has since risen to 39% in 2024.
“The increase in share of sales for whole milk suggests that consumer concerns over dairy fat, which manifested during the early to mid-2000s, have diminished,” ERS said.
