Cheese consumption in Switzerland is growing

Fresh and semi-hard cheeses continue to grow in popularity

09-Apr-2026

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In 2025, 217,596 tons of cheese from Switzerland and abroad were consumed in Switzerland. This is 7,323 tons more than in the previous year. Per capita, this corresponds to an average consumption of 23.71 kilograms of cheese. Compared to 2024, this represents an increase of 590 grams or +2.5%.

More fresh and semi-hard cheese

Quark, fresh and semi-hard cheese accounted for over two thirds of the total amount consumed in 2025. Compared to the previous year, an increase of 560 grams was recorded for quark and fresh cheese and 340 grams for semi-hard cheese. Together, this results in an increase in consumption of around 900 grams within these two product groups.

The trend can also be explained in culinary terms: Curd and cream cheese - such as mozzarella - are increasingly being used in hot and cold dishes. Semi-hard cheeses such as Appenzeller®, Vacherin Fribourgeois AOP, Tilsiter®, Tête de Moine AOP, mountain and alpine cheeses remain popular for aperitifs.

Less milk in cheese

While the consumption of soft and extra-hard cheese in Switzerland has remained stable over the last two years, the per capita consumption of hard cheese, processed cheese and fondue has fallen. This also means that the cheese mix consumed tends to contain less milk as a percentage. While only 4 to 10 kilograms of milk are needed to produce quark and cream cheese, hard cheese requires 10-13 kilograms.

Stable domestic share

The share of domestic cheese in total consumption was 63.3% in 2025, remaining largely stable over the last three years. Fresh cheese and quark (+2.2%), semi-hard cheese (+0.4%) and extra-hard cheese (+0.7%) in particular saw growth.

The consumption figures are calculated by Agristat (Swiss Farmers' Union) on the basis of data from TSM Solutions GmbH, the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security BAZG and the Swiss Milk Producers SMP and published together with Switzerland Cheese Marketing AG. The figures are part of the "Milk Statistics of Switzerland 2025", which will be published in late summer 2026.

Note: This article has been translated using a computer system without human intervention. LUMITOS offers these automatic translations to present a wider range of current news. Since this article has been translated with automatic translation, it is possible that it contains errors in vocabulary, syntax or grammar. The original article in German can be found here.

https://www.yumda.com/en/news/1188447/cheese-consumption-in-switzerland-is-growing.html