The 14 Asia-Pacific markets consumed more than 1.7 million tonnes of cheese in 2025. This is the fastest-growing region in the database: Zenith expects consumption to rise by more than 3% a year, passing 2 million tonnes by 2030.
Per capita consumption still averages less than half a kilo across the region, against around 21 kg in the USA and the EU27, which is what makes Asia the growth story of the global cheese market. The five fastest-growing markets in the whole database to 2030 are all in Asia: India, Indonesia, China, Vietnam and Thailand.
Trade defines the region. New Zealand and Australia are major exporters, while Japan, South Korea, China, Taiwan and much of Southeast Asia rely on imports, and Singapore and Hong Kong act as re-export hubs.
Markets covered: Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam.
The Zenith Global Cheese Database 2026 covers every market in the region 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.