Global size of kefir market stood at USD 1,305.4 million in 2024. Use of kefir will grow in 2025 and the overall market to USD 1,345.9 million. Sales during the five years through 2025 to 2035 will rise by a 3.7% CAGR worldwide to USD 1,914.9 million by late 2035.
Rise in demand for functional foods and beverages has increased the kefir market size exponentially. As a probiotic digestive health support, kefir is in demand with health-savvy customers as an alternative for sugar-filled yogurts and other dairy and dairy products. Increasing fame of gut wellness, immunity, and wellbeing have driven the ferments trend and kefir at the forefront of this wave.
Other players such as Lifeway Foods, Green Valley Creamery, and Wallaby Organic soon followed by expanding their kefir products to milk-based, water, and plant-based kefirs (almond and coconut) to capture the market of lactose-intolerant and vegan customers. This presented opportunities for the development of flavored kefirs, e.g., berry, vanilla, and citrus, that not only add flavor to the product but also retain health benefits.
Kefir drinking is expanding very rapidly in North America and Europe as a reaction to tremendous consumer demand for foods that are stomach-friendly, but in Asia-Pacific, increasing incomes and awareness of health foods are driving demand. Internet retailing sites are playing an important role in contributing to the expansion of specialty kefir product sales, particularly among urban consumers.
Product expansion, clean label consumer trend, and growing availability at supermarkets and health food stores are driving the addition of kefir to the daily diet. Moreover, using kefir in smoothies, breakfast bowls, and cooking recipes is also increasing its popularity among different segments of consumers.
| Attributes | Description |
|---|---|
| Estimated Size (2025E) | USD 1,345.9 million |
| Projected Value (2035F) | USD 1,914.9 million |
| Value-based CAGR (2025 to 2035) | 3.7% |
Kefir's positioning as a functional superfood with probiotic properties, along with the worldwide trend towards healthier, natural, and minimally processed foods, is projected to maintain consistent market growth over the next ten years.
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The following table provides a comparative evaluation of the difference in CAGR over six months between the base year (2024) and the current year (2025) for the global kefir market. This analysis identifies key changes in performance and reflects revenue realization trends, thereby giving stakeholders a clearer picture of the growth path over the year.
| Particular | Value CAGR |
|---|---|
| H1 (2024 to 2034) | 1.0% |
| H2 (2024 to 2034) | 1.2% |
| H1 (2025 to 2035) | 3.5% |
| H2 (2025 to 2035) | 3.7% |
During the first half (H1) of the 2025 to 2035 decade, the company is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 3.5%, while in the second half (H2), the growth is expected at 3.7% CAGR. In comparison with the 2024 period, the sector saw an increase of 250 BPS in H1 and 250 BPS in H2, reflecting an abrupt improvement in market performance due to increased consumer demand for functional, probiotic drinks such as kefir. The huge 250 BPS boost in both halves indicates greater demand momentum, more robust distribution channels, and product diversification which are the foundation of this growth pattern.
Tier 1 kefir market is dominated by some established large dairy firms and premium revenue specialty fermented beverage companies with strong brand equity and extensive geographic presence. They spend a lot on advertising, product development, and in functional and probiotic beverage categories. A good example is Lifeway Foods, number one company in the USA and international kefir market, with a wide range of flavored kefir drinks, organic lines, and high-probiotic content.
Lifeway's strong healthy-positioned brand and extensive retail penetration enable it to own supermarket shelves, health food stores, and e-commerce. Tier 1 competitor Danone is leveraging its global dairy platform to drive kefir products through a portfolio of regional brands. Danone's focus on functional nutrition and digestive health has driven its kefir product lines into leadership in developed and emerging markets.
Tier 2 consist of small local dairy firms and nascent health-oriented beverage firms with limited revenues and local market presence. Tier 2 marketed grass-fed and organic, and flavored, kefir products conventionally positioned premium or craft. British milk kefir beverages and snack foods and Green Valley Creamery (USA) catering to lactose-intolerant consumers by lactose-free kefir are illustrations. These Tier 2 players are fighting on differentiated health benefits, sustainable sourcing, and regional branding approaches, as a better-for-you option in the probiotic beverage segment.
Tier 3 consists of small-scale dairies, local kefir manufacturers, and start-ups that make handcrafted, raw, or vegan kefir substitutes (e.g., coconut, almond, oat-based kefir). They have limited distribution, with marketing primarily through farmers' markets, local stores, and direct-to-consumer.
A few of them popularly known are Small Batch Organics and Maple Hill Creamery with grass-fed and organic kefir products that entail minimal processing. Tier 3 players are looking to create craft, pure brands, and community positioning in the local context for serving nature- and health-minded customers.
Increasing Demand for Plant-Based Kefir on Account of Vegan and Dairy-Free Food Trends
Shift: The consumers are shifting towards dairy-free and vegan food trends and, as a result, are opting for non-dairy kefir substitutes in the majority. In the wake of increasing fear regarding lactose intolerance, animal welfare, and greening consumption, the consumers are moving towards such substitutes.
Later generations like Millennials and Gen Z took veganism more seriously, acting as catalysts to growth in oat, coconut, almond, and soy kefir products. Growth in products is commendable in North America, Western Europe, and select Asia-Pacific areas with changing flexitarian diets.
Strategic Response: Lifeway Foods (USA): Lifeway Foods retaliated by introducing its Plantiful line, a plant kefir brand produced using pine-pod-stable organic oats. Lifeway focused on probiotic ingredient and environmental packaging in order to appeal to the green consumer segment.
Lifeway also expanded distribution via Whole Foods Market and Target and invested in online marketing drives for gut health and plant-based nutrition. Consequently, the Plantiful brand generated a 12% increase in total sales and gained valuable shelf space in US retail chains up to 2024.
Increasing Trend of Functional and Immunity-Boosting Foods Propelling Probiotic Kefir Demand
Shift: The COVID-19 pandemic has driven demand for immune health, thus increasing the demand for probiotic-fortified functional foods such as kefir. Consumers demand digestive health products especially, and kefir is increasingly demanded because of the extremely high level of probiotics, higher than in most yogurts. Health-conscious consumers in European, North American, and South Korean regions are embracing kefir as a part of everyday wellness, and health labels on packs are being used by brands.
Strategic Response: Danone (France): Danone strengthened its Actimel kefir brand in the Danone-Wave company with evidence-backed probiotic strains for gut and immune system health. Danone used clinical trials to make the benefit of kefir a consumer favorite, leveraging research into targeted marketing campaigns for working professionals and urban families. Danone also introduced immunity-themed kefir shots in Canada, Germany, and France that drove probiotic kefir sales up by 17% in 2024. The move was one of Danone's broader health and wellness innovation efforts.
Accelerating Consumer Demand for Artisanal, Small-Batch Kefir Products with Local Production
Shift: Locally made, artisan kefir products with authenticity, handmade quality, and low processing appeal to consumers. This is especially hip in city markets where consumers seek farm-to-table transparency and local dairy sourcing in the region. Small-batch kefir with limited ingredients and full-strength fermentation profiles is taking shelf space in health food markets, farmers' markets, and upscale grocery store chains.
Strategic Response: Redwood Hill Farm (USA): Redwood Hill Farm introduced a new artisan goat milk kefir line, made from locally produced goat milk in Northern California. The company focused on small-batch fermentation, fewer additives, and traditional kefir grains in marketing.
Redwood Hill partnered with local farms and employed sustainable packaging, appealing to the conscience consumer. Natural and organics store sales increased 15% year over year with widened distribution to national Whole Foods and Sprouts retail outlets.
Innovation in Flavored and Fortified Kefir for Experience-Seeking Consumers
Shift: Customers are looking for a variety of flavor profiles and nutritionally enhanced kefir products that add to the sensory appeal. Unflavored kefir is sour or tangy in nature, so its appeal will be restricted to new customers. This has created marketplace demand for flavor (e.g., berry, vanilla, mango, matcha) and fortified kefir products with protein, fiber, omega-3, or vitamins. Young working professionals and health consumers in cities are leading this trend, using kefir as a functional food or meal replacement.
Strategic Response: Biotiful Dairy (UK): Biotiful Dairy introduced taste-added kefir smoothies in flavor and protein+kefir combinations to be consumed on-the-go. The primary flavors are strawberry, mango turmeric, and vanilla chia. The company used social media campaigns to target the fitness market, promoting kefir as a post-workout recovery beverage. Flavored kefir business of this company increased by 20% in the UK and appeared in Germany and the Netherlands in 2024, capitalizing on demand for sales of taste-added health products.
Kefir Growth in Growth Markets via Online and Health Channel Retailing
Shift: Historically strong in North America and Europe, kefir nowadays is targeting nascent markets such as India, Brazil, and Southeast Asia as the middle-class awareness of gastrointestinal well-being and democratized well-being trends continues worldwide.
Emerging middle-class trends are driving offline, specialty wellness and online occasions for growth with access to digitally connected consumers for brands in thinner-physical-world geographies. Social media fitness communities and influencer wellness voices are propelling understanding of kefir's health benefits.
Strategic Response: The Icelandic Milk & Skyr Corporation (Iceland/USA): Known for its Skyr products, the company expanded into kefir production under its Siggi’s brand, targeting Asian and Latin American markets. Through e-commerce partnerships with Amazon, BigBasket (India), and Mercado Libre (Latin America), Siggi’s launched introductory kefir bundles and online education campaigns on probiotics and digestion. The firm recorded a 9% growth in cross-border sales with kefir being the international market leader in 2024.
The following table presents the estimated growth rates of the top five territories projected to exhibit high consumption through 2035.
| Countries | CAGR, 2025 to 2035 |
|---|---|
| USA | 5.0% |
| Germany | 4.8% |
| China | 6.2% |
| Japan | 4.5% |
| India | 6.5% |
The kefir market is booming in the United States due to rising health awareness of people and the they are having high demand of probiotic rich food. The growing awareness among consumers regarding probiotic digestive health benefits is proactively contributing towards the market growth. The USA market size was usd 1.26 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.0% from 2024 to 2030.
The movement toward functional drinks has also driven kefir’s popularity. At the same time, manufacturers are launching new tastes and formulations for the products, which are covering kittle consumer preference, and thus help us in boosting the market growth. And the clean-label trend (transparency and the use of natural, least-processed ingredients) further builds its image as a healthy drink, making it even more attractive for health-seeking consumers.
A strong traditional consumption of fermented foods along with an increasing share of organic products boost the growth of the market. Germany Market was valued of USD 1.23 Billion in 2019 and it is expected to reach USD 2.40 Billion by 2032, at a CAGR of 5.39% during the period of forecast.
Traditional fermented foods are well accepted in Germany, which has favoured the acceptance of kefir as a healthful drink. The country’s healthy organic food market also caters to kefir’s rise, with many of the products sold as organic and natural. Additionally, expansion of dairy industry and several established players in the dairy sector who also produce and commercialize kefir are adding to market growth.
Kefir market in China: rapid growth propelled by rapid urbanization and rising health consciousness It was estimated that the market size in China was worth USD 2.03 billion in 2023, projected to reach USD 3.45 billion by 2030, recording a CAGR of 6.15% during the period 2023 to 2030. Currently, urban consumers are adopting healthier lifestyles, which drives the demand for functional food and beverages (kefir).
Additionally, the government’s efforts for the promotion of dairy consumption and improvement of public health also support the market growth. International dairy brands have also made their way into the market, showcasing local kefir products made from fresh milk to further penetrate the market and fulfill multiple consumer preferences.
Growing aging population coupled with high popularity for functional beverage segment as well supports the growth of kefir market in Japan. The value of the Japan market size was USD 1.51 billion in 2023 and is expected to hit USD 2.20 billion in 2030 with a CAGR of 5.5% in the forecast period. Japanese consumers who care about their health and wellness want products that deliver an explicit health benefit.
This demographic is more focused on gut health and cleanliness, aphorenching that amounts to an increase in kefir consumption.Update: Kefir is a type of cultured milk drink similar to yogurt but with a more liquid consistency. The market is also benefitting from the introduction of new product varieties with novel formulations, such as, lactose-free and plant-based kefir-based varieties, given that those consumers who suffering from lactose intolerance tend to seek products that match their needs.
| Segment | Value Share (2025) |
|---|---|
| Organic (By Form) | 41.2% |
The growing popularity of clean-label and health-oriented food is leading to the increased growth of the global organic kefir market. As consumers continue to value transparency over ingredients sourcing, availability of non-GMO options, and chemical-free processing, organic kefir has emerged to be the preferred option among health-conscious consumers. The organic food movement has gained widespread acceptance, particularly in North America and Europe, resulting in a gradual transition from conventional to organic dairy and plant-based product.
The rising demand for organic kefir is also largely related to the awareness of gut health and immunity. Consumers know more than ever about what probiotics can do, and kefir, with its rich, diverse probiotic profile, has evolved as a convenient, functional food to not only promote digestive health, but also overall well-being. The growing number of variants offer such benefits without the usage of synthetic additives or pesticides thus, organic has a none to minimal competition on in the competitive and controversial market.
In retaliation, top manufacturers are obtaining organic certifications, highlighting sustainable and traceable farming operation, and extending their organic kefir lines. Such efforts are appealing to consumers, who equate organic labels with greater nutritional value and environmental responsibility. Also, organic kefir is priced at a premium, which supports margins, making it more attractive for producers to enter, or grow in, this part of the market.
| Segment | Value Share (2025) |
|---|---|
| Milk Kefir - Dairy-Based and Non-Dairy Based (By Product Type) | 68.5% |
The largest share of the global kefir market belongs to milk kefir, which dominates due to its probiotic-rich profile, creamy mouthfeel, and legacy as an ancient fermented dairy drink. While kefir has traditionally been made from cow, goat or sheep milk, dairy-based kefir is still widely consumed as a health-boosting drink in many cultures. It’s also versatile enough to be added to a variety of recipes, from smoothies, salad dressings and marinades to baked goods.
But rising lactose intolerance rates, dietary restrictions, and ethical concerns around animal-derived products have opened the door for non-dairy milk kefir. Prepared with the help of plant based milk options like coconut, almond, soy, and oat milk, non-dairy kefir are gaining tremendous momentum among vegan consumers as well as those opting lactose free alternatives. Lacto-fermenting the soybeans used to make these variants preserves the probiotic benefits of traditional kefir, while also catering to plant-based orientated lifestyles.
Brands continue to innovate in this space to improve the flavour, mouthfeel and nutritional credentials of non-dairy kefir. Approaches like fortification with vitamins and minerals, clean-label formulations, and natural sweeteners are being used to help target down-market consumers. Lastly, non-dairy kefir also attracts the environmentally conscious consumer, given that plant-based production is intrinsically lower-impact on the environment than dairy.
Lifeway Foods, Inc. and The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. are two of the dominant companies that can grab market share in the Kefir Market with product innovation, brand popularity, and product development. Both these companies have cemented people's need for kefir through the distribution of several products such as functional drinks made from kefir, non-dairy kefir, and flavored kefir. Such a product range not only appeals to health-aware consumers but also allows for such brands to compete more forcefully with yogurt and probiotic drink producers.
Further, ongoing packaging innovation in the form of single-serve packages, on-the-go packets, and green packaging continues to stimulate customer convenience and environmental appeal. With strategic partnerships, store expansion, and health-oriented marketing, the kefir market is realizing incredible growth opportunities. Partnerships with health stores, wellness bloggers, and health brands have assisted kefir firms to get more exposure and make the most of the growing interest in gut health and immunity products.
For instance
The global industry is estimated at a value of USD 1,345.9 million.
Some of the leaders in this industry include Lifeway Foods, Inc, The Hain Celestial Group, Inc, Maple, Hill Creamery, LLC., Nestle, Danone, Green Valley, Fresh Made Dairy, Red Wood Hill and Others.
The European region is projected to hold a revenue share of 45.2% over the forecast period.
The industry is projected to grow at a forecast CAGR of 3.7% from 2025 to 2035.
This segment is further categorized into Organic and Conventional Form.
This segment is further categorized into Milk Kefir (Dairy Based, Non-Dairy Based) and Water Kefir.
This segment is further categorized into Flavoured and Unflavored.
This segment is further categorized into the Pharmaceutical Industry and Food Industry.
This segment is further categorized into Convenience Store, Specialty Store, Supermarkets/Hypermarkets, and Others.
Industry analysis has been carried out in key countries of North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Balkans & Baltic, Russia & Belarus, Central Asia, East Asia, South Asia & Pacific, and the Middle East & Africa.
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Kefir Market
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