Ice Cream Production in the EU: 2023 Overview
In 2023, the European Union saw a production of 3.2 billion liters of ice cream, which represents a decline of 1.4% compared to the previous year’s output of 3.3 billion liters, according to Eurostat’s report released on Wednesday. Among the EU nations, Germany stood out as the leading ice cream producer, contributing 612 million liters to the total, followed closely by France with 568 million liters and Italy with 527 million liters.
Pricing Trends in Ice Cream Production
Germany not only topped the charts in terms of production volume but also boasted the lowest average production cost at 1.8 EUR per liter. France reported a higher average price of 2.2 EUR per liter, while Italy’s average cost reached 2.6 EUR per liter. In contrast, Austria produced the most expensive ice cream, with an average price of 7.7 EUR per liter, followed by Hungary at 4.8 EUR and Greece at 3.7 EUR per liter. Lithuania, besides Germany, recorded the cheapest ice cream, averaging 1.9 EUR per liter, with the Czech Republic and Sweden following closely at 2.0 EUR and 2.1 EUR per liter, respectively.
Export and Import Dynamics
France accounted for 20% of the total ice cream exports from the EU. In 2023, EU countries exported 261 million kilograms of ice cream to non-EU nations, generating a total revenue of 1.04 billion EUR. Conversely, imports of ice cream from non-EU countries amounted to 56 million kilograms, valued at 217 million EUR. The export quantity saw a 5% increase from 2022, where 249 million kilograms were exported, while imports from outside the EU decreased by 8% in 2023, totaling 61 million kilograms.
Leading Exporters of Ice Cream
France emerged as the largest exporter of ice cream in the EU, shipping 52 million kilograms to countries outside the EU. This represented 20% of the EU’s total ice cream exports. Following France were the Netherlands, exporting 35 million kilograms (14% of EU exports), Germany at 29 million kilograms (11%), Italy at 28 million kilograms (11%), and Ireland at 24 million kilograms (9%).
