Dairy products and alternatives in 2025: The big picture
Value sales of dairy products and alternatives in Hungary rose in 2025, supported by resilient consumer demand across both traditional and plant-based segments despite ongoing economic caution. Hungary’s market was shaped by a combination of easing but still-present inflation, persistent price sensitivity, and increasingly polarised purchasing habits. Many households remained highly value-focused, favouring affordable staples from private label brands, while others selectively invested in premium, functional, or indulgent products. Discount retailers strengthened their position as key shopping destinations, offering competitive prices alongside expanding ranges of higher-quality options.
Key trends in 2025
Hungarian consumers in 2025 increasingly prioritised dairy products with tangible health benefits, particularly those linked to digestive health, immune support, and protein enrichment. Probiotic-rich offerings such as functional yoghurts from Actimel and Real Nature grew in popularity, especially in multipack formats for daily consumption. High-protein innovations like Pöttyös Protein Rudi appealed to younger, fitness-oriented audiences, while lactose-free milk and yoghurt options broadened their reach by meeting dietary requirements without compromising taste. Even indulgent chilled dairy snacks were often positioned with a health or functional benefit, enabling them to resonate with wellness-conscious consumers.
Competitive Landscape
Bonafarm retained its leadership in the dairy products and alternatives sector in 2025, largely thanks to the strength of its Mizo brand, which continued to perform well across both plain and flavoured milk categories. The company’s wide distribution network, strong brand recognition, and consistent investment in flavour innovation helped secure its dominant position, while its portfolio breadth enabled it to cater to both everyday staples and indulgent purchases.
Channel developments
In 2025, Lidl emerged as the leading distribution channel for dairy products and alternatives in Hungary, increasing its share through aggressive pricing, category expansion, and a broad private label offering. Discounters in general thrived in this value-conscious environment, although health and beauty retailers such as dm, Rossmann, and Müller maintained relevance in baby food, particularly for specialist and organic options.
What next for dairy products and alternatives?
Value sales of dairy products and alternatives are projected to rise over the forecast period, underpinned by the ongoing shift toward added-value products with functional benefits. High-protein, lactose-free, gut-friendly, and clean-label claims are becoming increasingly important to consumers and will remain key growth drivers. However, government interventions – such as Hungary’s 2025 retail margin cap on essential goods – are reshaping pricing strategies and may limit premiumisation opportunities in some categories.
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Overview:
Understand the latest market trends and future growth opportunities for the Dairy Products and Alternatives industry in Hungary with research from Euromonitor International's team of in-country analysts – experts by industry and geographic specialisation.
Key trends are clearly and succinctly summarised alongside the most current research data available. Understand and assess competitive threats and plan corporate strategy with our qualitative analysis, insight and confident growth projections.
Data and analysis in this report provides further detailed coverage dedicated to a comprehensive range of core packaged food categories.
If you're in the Dairy Products and Alternatives industry in Hungary, our research will help you to make informed, intelligent decisions; to recognise and profit from opportunity, or to offer resilience amidst market uncertainty.
The Dairy Products and Alternatives in Hungary report includes:
- Analysis of key supply-side and demand trends
- Detailed segmentation of international and local products
- Historic volume and value sizes, company and brand market shares
- Five year forecasts of market trends and market growth
- Robust and transparent research methodology, conducted in-country
This report answers:
- What is the market size of Dairy Products and Alternatives in Hungary?
- Which are the leading brands in Dairy Products and Alternatives in Hungary?
- How are products distributed in Dairy Products and Alternatives in Hungary?
- How is the rise of e-commerce and/or the expansion of modern grocery retail impacting traditional retail?
- What are the key health and wellness concerns driving, or challenging, sales in Dairy Products and Alternatives?
- How significant are vegan and vegetarian dietary requirements in determining sales growth in Hungary?
- How has COVID-19 impacted consumer demand? To what extent have lockdown, home seclusion and stockpiling boosted sales? Will the longer term economic repercussions of the pandemic stimulate or suppress future growth?
- Where is future growth expected to be most dynamic?
- How significant will values-based claims, such as sustainability and ethical labelling, be in supporting future growth and brand equity?
Dairy Products and Alternatives in Hungary
Dairy products and alternatives in 2025: The big picture
Key trends in 2025
Competitive Landscape
Channel developments
What next for dairy products and alternatives?
DISCLAIMER
Baby Food in Hungary
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Fewer births and shrinking base place demographic pressures on the market
Balancing premium positioning with value perception
Distribution shifts and the rise of digital advocacy
Special milk formulas expected to drive value growth despite demographic decline
Health and wellness priorities to strengthen functional and organic demand
Multi-pack formats and packaging innovation to appeal to value-conscious parents
Butter and Spreads in Hungary
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Health-conscious shifts amidst demographic changes
Multifunctionality as a competitive edge
Discount retailers dominate distribution channels
Premiumisation trends in butter consumption
Health and wellness drive product innovation
Sticking to familiar sizes: packaging stability
Cheese in Hungary
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Packaged hard cheese drives market resilience
Private label and premium offerings shape competitive landscape
Distribution channels evolve with consumer preferences
Steady growth anchored in packaged hard cheeses
Health and wellness shaping product development
Export-driven innovation and market expansion
Drinking Milk Products in Hungary
KEY DATA FINDINGS
UHT milk gains ground as consumer habits shift
Private label expansion led by discounters
Discounters dominate as e-commerce slowly grows
Government price interventions reshape market dynamics
Iced coffee fuels flavoured milk growth
Hell Energy’s new facility accelerates iced coffee production and sustainability goals
Yoghurt and Sour Milk Products in Hungary
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Functional and flavoured yoghurt products drive category growth
Private label strengthens position amid economic pressures
Discount retailers lead as shopping habits evolve
Super protein innovation to drive premium health-focused growth
Margin caps to reshape pricing and competitive positioning
Sustainable aseptic packaging investment enhances efficiency and shelf life
Other Dairy in Hungary
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Growing chilled dairy desserts and chilled snacks
Protein boost and focus in competitive strategies
Discounter channel dominance in distribution
Growing chilled dairy snacking
Wellness fuel functional diversification
Sustainability-led innovation in packaging and plant-based options
Plant-Based Dairy in Hungary
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Health-driven choices fuel plant-based dairy growth
Competitive landscape intensifies with private label
Growing channel presence
Sustainability concerns drive consumer choices
Health and wellness trends spur product innovation
Sustainable packaging focus enhances appeal
The following categories and subcategories are included:
Dairy Products and Alternatives
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- Dried Baby Food
- Prepared Baby Food
- Other Baby Food
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- Liquid Standard Milk Formula
- Powder Standard Milk Formula
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- Liquid Follow-on Milk Formula
- Powder Follow-on Milk Formula
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- Liquid Growing-Up Milk Formula
- Powder Growing-Up Milk Formula
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- Liquid Special Baby Milk Formula
- Powder Special Baby Milk Formula
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- Butter
- Cooking Fats
- Margarine and Spreads
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- Spreadable Cheese
- Processed Cheese excl Spreadable
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- Packaged Hard Cheese
- Unpackaged Hard Cheese
- Soft Cheese
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- Dairy Only Flavoured Milk Drinks
- Flavoured Milk Drinks with Fruit Juice
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- Fat-free Fresh Milk
- Semi Skimmed Fresh Milk
- Full Fat Fresh Milk
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- Fat-free Shelf Stable Milk
- Semi Skimmed Shelf Stable Milk
- Full Fat Shelf Stable Milk
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- Goat Milk
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- Powder Milk
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- Sour Milk Products
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- Drinking Yoghurt
- Flavoured Yoghurt
- Plain Yoghurt
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- Chilled Dairy Desserts
- Shelf Stable Dairy Desserts
- Chilled Snacks
- Coffee Whiteners
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- Flavoured Condensed Milk
- Plain Condensed Milk
- Evaporated Milk
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- Cream
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- Flavoured Fromage Frais and Quark
- Plain Fromage Frais and Quark
- Savoury Fromage Frais and Quark
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- Soy Drinks
- Other Plant-based Milk
- Plant-based Yoghurt
- Plant-based Cheese
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This report originates from Passport, our Dairy Products and Alternatives research and analysis database.
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