Croatia among the top 10 ice cream producers in the EU

Croatia has earned its place among the top 10 ice cream producers in the European Union. 

In the year 2022, the European Union’s ice cream production surged to 3.2 billion litres, reflecting a notable 5% uptick from the preceding year.

Germany solidified its position as the primary ice cream producer in 2022, churning out a remarkable 620 million litres of this frozen delight,  Eurostat reported.

Following closely were France, boasting 591 million litres, and Italy, contributing 571 million litres to the sweet confectionery mix.

Spain and Belgium were fourth and fifth respectively, followed by Lithuania, Czech Republic, Finland and Romania. 

Croatia were in 10th place, producing 33 million litres last year.

Croatia’s production is also set to increase with the opening of the world’s biggest artisan ice cream factory in the city of Ogulin. The 4,500-square-metre plant will enable the production of 15 tonnes of natural ice cream daily

Not only did Germany lead the production charts, but it also emerged as the champion of affordability, with an average price of a mere €1.5 per litre of ice cream. France came next, with an average price of €1.9 per litre, while Italy trailed slightly with an average cost of €2.3 per litre.

The costliest ice cream creations hailed from Austria, where the average price per litre soared to €7.0, followed by Denmark at €4.4 per litre, and Finland at €2.8 per litre.

‘Biggest handcrafted ice cream factory in the world’ to open in Croatian city of Ogulin

EU exported a staggering 250 million kilograms of ice cream to non-EU countries last year, with a cumulative value reaching €930 million. In contrast, imports of ice cream from non-EU countries amounted to 61 million kg, with a total price tag of €203 million. This translated to a 14% dip in extra-EU ice cream imports in 2022, compared to the previous year, while exports only experienced a marginal 2% decline.

France emerged as the undisputed leader in ice cream exports, shipping 53 million kg abroad in 2022, constituting a substantial 21% of the EU’s extra-EU ice cream exports. This placed France ahead of the Netherlands, which contributed 42 million kg, accounting for 17% of the total extra-EU exports. Italy, Germany, and Belgium also played significant roles, exporting 31 million kg (13%), 28 million kg (11%), and 23 million kg (9%) of ice cream, respectively, to global markets.