Source page: McKinsey & Company
Commentary
The cheese stands alone
Agriculture | Consumer
April 18, 2023 – Plant-based dairy alternatives are gaining traction, but 71 percent of US consumers choose dairy products exclusively, according to a recent McKinsey survey. Partner Christina Adams and colleagues note that consumers in the dairy-only group tend to be older and eat meat, while the 5 percent of respondents who choose only plant-based dairy alternatives are typically younger and vegan or vegetarian.
To read the article, see “Similar yet different: Meet today’s consumer of dairy and alternatives,” March 21, 2023.
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Visual form
Nested proportional rectangle chart.
Layout / body structure
A single large block fills most of the page to represent dairy purchasers overall, and a smaller inset rectangle is carved inside it to isolate the subgroup that exclusively buys plant-based alternative dairy products.
What is being compared
It compares the full pool of respondents who purchased dairy in retail or food-service outlets in the past month with the much smaller subset who purchased only plant-based dairy alternatives.
Measurement system
The measure is percent of respondents, expressed as area rather than as bars or lines, so the reader understands the small subgroup by its limited footprint inside the larger box.
Visible structure inside the graphic
The dominant dark rectangle represents the broad dairy-purchasing population, while the smaller lighter block inside it marks the exclusive plant-based segment and is paired with a text note describing that group’s demographic profile.
Main takeaway from the visual
The plant-based-only segment is visibly tiny relative to the total dairy-purchasing block, which makes the page’s point that exclusive plant-based buying is still a niche behavior rather than the mainstream pattern.
Key standout values or extremes
The headline states that only 5 percent of US consumers exclusively buy plant-based alternative dairy products, and the note below adds that 16 percent of respondents did not purchase dairy or dairy alternatives in the past month.
Controls / sequence, when applicable
This is a static chart image with no in-chart controls to operate.
Companion media, when applicable
There is no separate companion audio or video; the chart image is the full visual on this page.