• Average expenditure has increased on most dairy products between 2006 and 2007.
• Expenditure on butter has seen the largest percentage increase of 16.7%.
• Average expenditure increasing is in part due to increased retail prices in 2007.

Defra are now producing data for the calendar year rather than for the milk year. Latest expenditure figures from the Defra Family Food Survey show that average expenditure on liquid milk has increased to £0.93 per person per week. However, this is 2.1% (£0.02 per person per week) lower than ten years ago when the average spend on milk was £0.95 per person per week. Looking at liquid milk in detail shows that expenditure on whole milk fell between 2006 and 2007, while average spend on semi-skimmed and skimmed milk increased. This is the same trend as seen with milk consumption. For more information on milk consumption click here.

Data for other dairy products shows that expenditure has increased on cheese, butter and dairy desserts, while expenditure on yogurt and cream has stabilised. Expenditure on yogurt stabilised, this is likely to have been effected by the fall in consumption of yogurt between 2006 and 2007. Cheese expenditure rose to £0.68 per person per week, an increase of 6.3% when compared to 2006. Average spend on butter increased 16.7% to £0.14 per person per week, while expenditure on dairy desserts rose to £0.14 per person per week and is over double the average spend seen in 1997.

*please note that all prices are in nominal terms and therefore do not account for inflation.

Source: DEFRA