In 2024, the EU produced 3.3 billion litres of ice cream, representing a 2% increase from 2023 (3.2 billion litres).

Germany remained the top producer of ice cream in the EU, producing 607 million litres in 2024. France (501 million litres) and Italy (492 million litres) followed at the top. The list of main producers also included Spain (378 million litres) and Poland (298 million litres).

Compared with 2023, among these 5 EU countries, only Poland registered a surge in production, at +29%. France recorded a decline of 12%, Italy 7%, Spain 6% and Germany saw a slight decrease of 1%.  However, the production of ice cream increased in more EU countries than it decreased, resulting in an overall rise in production. Other significant increases were registered in Belgium (+35%), Bulgaria (+19%), and Czechia (+15%).

In 2022, the EU produced 3.2 billion litres of ice cream, marking a 5% increase from the previous year.

Among the EU countries, Germany was the main producer of ice cream in 2022, producing 620 million litres of ice cream, followed by France (591 million litres) and Italy (571 million litres).

As well as being the largest ice cream producer in 2022, Germany produced on average the cheapest ice cream at €1.5 per litre. France reported an average price of €1.9 per litre of ice cream, while Italy reported an average price of €2.3 per litre of ice cream.

The most expensive ice cream was produced in Austria, with an average price of €7.0 per litre of ice cream, followed by Denmark (€4.4 per litre), and Finland (€2.8 per litre).

France accounted for a fifth of the total extra-EU ice cream exports

In 2022, the EU countries exported 250 million kilograms (kg) of ice cream to non-EU countries, worth a total of €930 million. On the other hand, imports of ice cream from non-EU countries amounted to 61 million kg, valued at €203 million. The quantity of extra-EU ice cream imports decreased by 14% in 2022, compared with 2021, while exports dropped by only 2%.

France exported 53 million kg of ice cream in 2022, accounting for 21% of extra-EU ice cream exports. This made it the largest ice cream exporter out of all EU countries, ahead of the Netherlands (42 million kg of ice cream; 17% of total extra-EU exports), Italy (31 million kilograms; 13%), Germany (28 million kilograms; 11%) and Belgium (23 million kilograms; 9%).

Methodological notes

• Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden: 2022 data on production not available.
• Cyprus, Luxembourg and Malta: exempt from providing data on production due to their economic sizes.

In 2021, the EU produced over 3.1 billion litres of ice cream, a 4% increase from the previous year.

Over the same period, EU Member States exported 254 million kilograms of ice cream to non-EU countries, worth a total of €850 million. On the other hand, imports of ice cream from non-EU countries amounted to 71 million kilograms, worth a total of €192 million. While the quantity of extra-EU ice cream imports decreased (-11%) compared with 2020, exports increased by 9%.

Germany was the EU’s main producer of ice cream

Among the EU Member States, Germany was the main producer of ice cream in 2021, producing 614 million litres of ice cream. Germany was followed by France (459 million litres; based on production on own account) and Italy (381 million litres).

As well as being the largest ice cream producer in 2021, Germany produced on average the cheapest ice cream at €1.4 per litre. France reported an average price of €2.0 per litre of ice cream, while Italy reported an average price of €2.1 per litre of ice cream.

Top ice cream exporter: France

France exported 57 million kilograms of ice cream in 2021, accounting for 22% of extra-EU ice cream exports. This made it the largest ice cream exporter out of all EU Member States, ahead of the Netherlands (which exported 38 million kilograms of ice cream, or 15% of total extra-EU exports), Italy (33 million kilograms, or 13%), Germany (24 million kilograms, or 10%) and Belgium (23 million kilograms, or 9%).

notes: 

• France: 2021 data on production under sub-contracted operations not available due to confidentiality. However, France ranks as the second largest producer of ice cream given the production on own account. Starting this year, there are two new production variables (sub-contracted operations production and production on own account summing up into sold production), as requested by the EBS Regulation.
• Ireland, Portugal, Slovenia and Sweden: data not available due to confidentiality.
• Cyprus, Luxembourg and Malta: exempt from providing data on production due to their economic sizes.