Italy is the fastest growing country in the European ice cream industry. In 2025, Italian production increased by 10% compared to 2024, a pace unmatched among the five largest EU producers, bringing Italy to 549 million liters, in second place but increasingly close to Germany, which remains at 608 million liters with a growth of just 0.2%.
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Sector growth
The overall picture of the European Union, provided by Eurostat, confirms the positive moment of the sector: in 2025 EU production reached 3.44 billion liters, compared to 3.38 billion in 2024, an increase of 1.9%.
Belgium and Spain also in the top 5
Behind Germany and Italy is France (525 million liters, +4%), followed by Spain (457 million, +2%) and Belgium (274 million, +6%). All five countries increased production, but the gap between Italy and France has narrowed to just 24 million liters: at the growth rate recorded this year, overtaking the second step of the podium would be achievable already in 2026.
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The export boom, France close behind
The Italian acceleration is even more marked on the export front. In 2025 Italy exported 55.2 million kg of ice cream to non-EU countries, equal to 19% of the EU total, compared to 42.6 million kg in 2024: a leap of over 12 million kg, about 30% more in just one year.
France remains the top EU exporter, with 59.1 million kg (20% of the total), but the gap with Italy has narrowed to less than 4 million kg, compared to the 13 million that separated the two countries just a year ago.
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