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According to the ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Global Consumer Survey, as of March 2026, around ** percent of Australians surveyed reported being consumers of dairy substitutes. In comparison, just over *** in ** respondents indicated that they regularly consumed meat alternatives. Nonetheless, larger shares of the Australian population do not consume meat or dairy substitutes.

Awareness and experimentation with plant-based options

While traditional meat and dairy product sales and per-capita consumption volumes vastly outpace their plant-based counterparts, more individuals across Australia are trialing meat and milk alternatives in their diet, engaging in additive or replacement behaviors, or making the full switch. In a 2024 survey, over ** percent of Australian consumers reported having tried milk substitutes, while around ** percent had sampled meat substitutes. This experimentation with plant-based and free-from alternative products indicates a growing curiosity among Australians about these foods and beverages, potentially paving the way for increased regular consumption of plant-based alternatives in the future.

How does plant-based milk perform compared to dairy?

While the plant-based milk segment struggles to keep up with dairy milk, with only around *** percent of households in Australia exclusively purchasing plant-based milk, almost of consumers buy both dairy and non-dairy milk alternatives on a regular basis. Although still lagging behind dairy milk, per-capita milk alternative consumption is expected to rise in the coming years while Australia’s per-capita cow's milk consumption is set to witness a long-term downward trend.