Australia cheese market

Australia is the third largest cheese market in Asia-Pacific. Zenith puts consumption at more than 310,000 tonnes in 2025, or around 11 kg per person, the highest in the region.

Zenith expects consumption to grow by around 2% a year to 2030, passing 350,000 tonnes.

Australia trades heavily in both directions. It exports around a third of its production, mainly to Asia, while imports supply around a third of what Australians eat. Cheddar is the dominant variety, followed by mozzarella and fresh cheeses.

The Zenith Global Cheese Database 2026 covers Australia with production, imports, exports and consumption for 39 cheese types, actuals from 2020 to 2025 and forecasts to 2030. Volume data covers totals, broad categories and separately measured cheese types, in tonnes. Consumer retail value covers total cheese only, in local currency and USD; import and export trade values cover HS 0406 total only, in USD. Monetary values are not broken down by individual cheese type or broad category. Retail shelf prices cover total cheese and five broad categories: hard and semi-hard, fresh, mould, processed, and other non-specified cheese, in local currency/kg and USD/kg, not individual prices for all 39 cheese types. Import and export unit prices cover HS 0406 total and available HS subheadings, in USD/kg. Retail value is estimated retail volume multiplied by regular shelf prices, including sales tax. Trade values are customs values, using CIF for imports and FOB for exports. Production is measured as formally manufactured cheese.