The perceived health benefits of non-dairy yellow fats have clearly passed the French by. With its consumers being less concerned about the fat content of food and unprepared to compromise on taste, France leads the global butter rankings.
Elsevier Food International, Vol. 6, Number 1, February 2003

Only Germany and New Zealand come anywhere close; the sheer abundance of butter in the latter country has sustained high consumption levels, albeit falling by 15 per cent over the last decade. Elsewhere across the EU, consumption is at best standing still, with any growth coming primarily from the increased use of butters by the manufacturing sector. At retail level, innovation is proving a key to success, with reduced-fat butters and spreadable formulas leading the way. The US has seen a rise in consumption, benefiting from increased usage in both processing and foodservice. Butter has not been a traditional food product in the emerging Asian and Latin American markets, given the relatively cheap availability of vegetable oil alternatives in many markets, and limitations in the refrigerated distribution chain. Ghee does of course feature strongly in the Indian sub-continent.