Countries with the Most Cheese Varieties
Source:
Wikipedia
Key Findings
🏆
United Kingdom leads in Cheese Varieties with 700.
📊
Average Cheese Varieties: 283 · median: 198.
↔️
Gap: United Kingdom is 11.7× larger than Greece.
About This Dataset
Countries with the Most Cheese Varieties
Countries ranked by the estimated number of distinct named cheese varieties produced within their borders. The United Kingdom has the highest figure in this table, about 700 named cheeses, ahead of Italy on 487 and Switzerland on 450.
France, the country most people associate with cheese, is fourth on 246 — the number Charles de Gaulle used when he asked how anyone could govern "a country that has 246 kinds of cheese". Germany (150), Spain (100), the Netherlands (70) and Greece (60) complete the list.
These are estimates drawn from each country's cuisine rather than from one official register, and every country draws the line between a variety and a local name differently. The order is a rough guide to how many cheeses are named in each country, not a precise count.
France, the country most people associate with cheese, is fourth on 246 — the number Charles de Gaulle used when he asked how anyone could govern "a country that has 246 kinds of cheese". Germany (150), Spain (100), the Netherlands (70) and Greece (60) complete the list.
These are estimates drawn from each country's cuisine rather than from one official register, and every country draws the line between a variety and a local name differently. The order is a rough guide to how many cheeses are named in each country, not a precise count.
Analysis
United Kingdom heads the table on 700, ahead of Italy (487) and Switzerland (450) in Cheese Varieties. 640 separates the highest figure (700) from the lowest (60) in Cheese Varieties. First and second are separated by 213, so the leader sits inside the field rather than apart from it. Only 3 of the 8 reach even half the leader's figure (350 or more).
Data Insights
Numbers, trends & sources behind this chart
Methodology & source
- Data source
- Wikipedia
- Coverage
- 8 entities · 8 observations
- Measure
- Cheese Varieties
- Last updated
- 16 September 2026
- Compiled by
- The ANYSTAT team, from the source above
How the figures are calculated
- Values use the measure and unit named on this page. Consult the dataset description and cited source for coverage, definitions and any unit conversions. Displayed values may be rounded for readability.
- Entities are ranked highest-first on their value.
Data Sources & References
All external sources cited in this dataset
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