Iran cheese market

Iran is the second largest cheese market in the Middle East. Zenith puts consumption at more than 390,000 tonnes in 2025, or around 5 kg per person.

Zenith expects consumption to grow by less than 1% a year to 2030, passing 400,000 tonnes.

Iran is self-sufficient in cheese. White cheese dominates consumption, and the country exports around a fifth of its production to neighbouring markets while importing almost nothing. Industrial dairies sit alongside a large traditional sector.

The Zenith Global Cheese Database 2026 covers Iran 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.