Montenegro’s milk consumption now ranks 2nd globally at an annual equivalent of 349 liters per person, according to 2024’s FAOSTAT data.
Driving this consumption are exclusive Montegrin milk products such as cheese, butter-like skorup and cream, alongside fluid milk.
This consumption is at odds with falling cattle numbers, now at a consecutive five-year depreciation in the Balkan country.
According to Monstat, the Montenegro official data site, the cattle population in 2019 was 81,432 versus 2022’s 70,765 heads.
A similar yearly decline also informed the dairy cow population which decreased from 57,244 in 2019 to 48,124 heads in 2022.
In milk consumption however, Montenegro has shown stability in recent times, ranking 3rd consecutively in 2020 and 2021 after Malaysia and Denmark.
Europeans are the Top Milk Consumers
Speaking of Denmark, the country topped the FAOSTAT list with 430 liters per person in the 2024 report.
The European trio of Sweden at 341 liters, Switzerland at 318 liters and Albania at 303 liters made the top 5.
According to Radio Television of Montenegro, the Netherlands ties with Montenegro at second place with 349 liters.
Not surprisingly, the lowest milk-consuming market is outside Europe, namely North Korea, with 4 liters per person annually.
Montenegro’s Milk Sector Improvements
In the midst of record consumption, the Montenegro milk sector is still striving to improve the quality of its milk.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management has vowed to meet European Union (EU) dairy stipulations, including price and health.
One of the stipulations is the EU directive 89/384/EEC which lays down strict laws for the health criteria of dairy products.
Whenever Montenegro meets the standards, the fact remains that its consumption has improved and thus quality must follow. As the following statistics show, this quality will have to apply across the country’s dairy herd and flock.
Montenegro Milk Consumption Statistics
Milk consumption applies to the use of fluid milk and milk products (fluid milk, butter, cheese, e.t.c.). Regarding fluid milk, Montenegro does not make the top 20, a list that Belarus tops with 113.7 liters per person yearly in 2022. However, in all milk consumption, Montenegro has always been in the top 3 in global rankings since 2020.
How has milk consumption in Montenegro performed historically?
Milk consumption in Montenegro rose from 360.75 liters per person per year in 2020 to 360.38 liters in 2021. The yearly total consumption volume also rose from 227,000 tonnes in 2020 to 249,000 tonnes in 2021. By 2023, the per capita rate had spiked to 349 liters, and ranking had improved to the 2nd place globally.
Where does Montenegro’s milk come from?
Montenegro relies on cow, sheep and goat milk. The country produced 172,049,000 liters of milk in 2023, of which 89.1% from cows and the rest from the goat/sheep flock. Monstat’s data further shows that local cows produced an average 3,187 liters per year in 2022.