In Italy ice cream is much more than a simple dessert, it is a symbol of summer – even if in reality it is enjoyed all year round – and for many, not only children, it represents an almost indispensable pleasure. Not surprisingly, the quality of our ice cream is appreciated all over the world and it would therefore be natural to think that Italy is also the first European manufacturer. However, the data say more.
According to the latest statistics released by Eurostat, in 2024 the European Union produced a total of 3.3 billion liters of ice cream, marking a 2% increase compared to 2023, but it was not Italy that produced more than all countries.
It is important to specify that the Eurostat data concern the industrial production of packaged ice cream. Who knows how the ranking would change if only the ‘true ice cream’, the artisan one, which in Italy remains an undisputed symbol of gastronomic culture in Italy.
The country that produces the most ice cream in Europe
In the first place in the ranking for the production of ice cream we find Germany, with 607 million liters products. On the second step of the podium, France is placed (501 million), while Italy stops in third place with 492 million liters. To complete the Top Five there are Spain (378 million) and Poland (298 million).
Among the great producers, only Poland recorded a significant increase in 2024 (+29% compared to the previous year). For the others, the trend was down: –12% in France, –7% in Italy, –6% in Spain and -1% in Germany.
However, the overall balance remains positive thanks to the “small” producers, who have driven European growth. Belgium (+35%), Bulgaria (+19%) and Czech Republic (+15%) have in fact contributed decisively to the 2%increase on an EU scale.
On the export front to non-EU countries, the ranking still changes. In 2024 the Union sold 265.3 million kg of ice cream abroad (+1% compared to 2023) and imported 69.3 million (+24%).
France guides exports with 55.9 million kg (equal to 21% of the total), followed by Italy (42.6 million), the Netherlands (31.9 million), Germany (28.2 million) and Belgium (27 million). A figure that confirms that Germany, despite being the largest producer, destinies most of its ice creams in the internal market.
The numbers clearly show that Italy is not the first European manufacturer of ice cream and not even the largest exporter. But this does not affect the cultural and symbolic value that ice cream has in our country. Our artisan tradition, innovative tastes, the quality of the raw materials and the consumer experience mean that, even without the industrial primacy, Italy remains in the collective imagination the true homeland of ice cream.
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