Is whole milk making a comeback while skim milk fades in popularity?

Data source – USDA news release

By Jeff Ishee

April 3, 2026 - Americans are drinking a lot less fluid milk than they used to. Back in 2009, the country sold about 55 billion pounds of milk. By 2024, that number had dropped to about 43 billion pounds — a decline of roughly 22 percent. There was, however, a small bump from 2023 to 2024, but the long‑term trend is still downward.

Several things are driving this drop:

- There are fewer young children in the population (the group that drinks the most milk).

- People have more choices now, like plant‑based beverages.

- Tastes and habits have simply changed.

Recent research by The Cleveland Clinic indicates that whole milk provides calcium, vitamin D (when fortified), potassium, B12, vitamin A, magnesium, zinc, and high‑quality complete protein. These nutrients support bone strength, muscle repair, nerve function, and overall metabolic health. Image credit - Jeff Ishee

Even with overall milk sales falling, whole milk has made a comeback. It used to be the top seller in the early 2000s, then hit a low point in 2012, when it accounted for only 26 percent of sales. Since then, it has steadily climbed back and reached 39 percent of the market in 2024. This suggests that people aren’t as worried about milk fat as they were 10–15 years ago.

Other types of milk haven’t fared as well.

- Reduced‑fat milk (2% and similar) was the most popular from 2005 to 2017, but its share has slipped to about 30 percent.

- Low‑fat and skim milk have dropped sharply since 2015 and now make up only about 16 percent of sales — down more than 13 percentage points from their peak around 2010–2011.

- Flavored milk, eggnog, buttermilk, and other specialty products make up a small slice of the market, averaging about 13 percent over the past five years.

Early USDA numbers suggest the overall decline in milk sales continued into 2025, but whole milk held onto its stronger position.