Market Size, Trends & Growth

The nutrition industry is currently experiencing huge growth. Increasing awareness of how diet affects health and the benefits of various eating habits means consumers are more educated than ever.

Set against a backdrop of busy lifestyles and global health concerns, the nutrition market looks set to skyrocket as people seek quick and easy solutions.  

In this article – we’ve collated the latest nutrition industry stats from across the world into one handy resource.

We’ve spent 15+ years working in the health and wellness industry, from supplement companies to leading fitness brands, so we know the market inside-out. We proactively study the ever-changing landscape, highlight new trends, and analyse the big players. For the last 5 years, we’ve shared this expertise with the wider industry through our insights articles and Research Reports which are available to purchase.

2024 Nutrition Industry Market Report

Nutrition Industry Overview

Here’s a quick overview of key nutrition industry statistics at a glance…

• The nutrition market is estimated to be worth $326bn billion in 2024 [Wellness Creative Co].
• It’s predicted to reach $347.5 billion by 2025 [Global Newswire].
• It’s growing at a rate of 6.6% each year and is expected to continue at this pace [Global Newswire].
• Personalised nutrition through apps, testing kits, and programs is growing at a faster rate of 15% [Markets & Markets].
• Medical costs for people classified as obese (almost 40% of the US population) are $1,429 higher than those of normal healthy weight [Wellness Creative Co].

Let’s look at some of the trends, growth areas, and market drivers in more detail…

Nutrition Industry Trends & Growth Markets

Here are some of the key nutrition industry trends and predicted growth areas…

• Plant-based eating – in the UK, 11% of the population follows a vegetarian or vegan diet [Statista].
• Low carb – 10% of the UK population follows a low or no-carb diet [Statista].
• Natural Sweeteners – the market was worth over $9.2bn in 2019 and predicted to increase by 4.3% CAGR between now and 2026 [Global Market Insights].
• Gluten-Free – the gluten-free food market was worth $7.4bn in 2018, with growth estimated at 9.4% CAGR over the next six years [Global Market Insights].
• Edible insects market size exceeded USD 112 million, globally in 2019 and is estimated to grow at over 47% CAGR between 2019 and 2026 [Global Market Insights].

So, what’s driving these nutrition and healthy eating trends? Well key drivers impacting eating habits and purchasing patterns include…

• Growing awareness of nutrition and desire for a healthier lifestyle
• Increasing awareness of health benefits various eating habits
• Trends toward food products with natural ingredients
• Increasing concerns about weight gain and associated health implications
• Growing usage in dietary supplements
• Increasing demand for healthy ingredients from the commercial food manufacturing industry

While interest in the health and wellness industry is growing, the nutrition segment isn’t quite keeping up. As you can see in the below Google Trends graph, global interest in nutrition is steady but has declined slightly since the events of 2020. However, this doesn’t indicate a long-term downward trend as interest has been stable over the last three years.

The annual peaks and troughs mirror those of the fitness industry, where demand is highest during January due to people making healthy New Year’s resolutions.

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Plant-Based Eating Trends

Plant-based eating (both vegetarianism and veganism) has been a prominent nutrition trend in recent years. We expect continued growth in this area as more manufacturers develop vegetarian products, which will further boost adoption.

However, the sharp growth rate is likely to be less pronounced as the market hits saturation. This is already being reflected in sales of plant-based meat alternatives which have been flat over the last two years.

• Interest in ‘veganism’ increased 7x between 2014 and 2019, according to Google Trends. It now gets almost four times more interest than vegetarian and gluten-free searches. [Vegan Society].
• Up to 6% of U.S. consumers say they are vegan, a 500% increase since 2014 [Plant Proteins].
• In the UK, the number of vegans quadrupled between 2014 and 2019 from 150,000 to 600,000 [Vegan Society].
• U.S. retail sales of plant-based foods hit $4.5 billion in 2019, up 11% from the previous year [Plant Proteins].
• This plant-based shift is driving increased sales of plant milks, protein powders, and dairy-free ice-creams [Global Market Insights].

2024 Nutrition Industry Market Report

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Sports Nutrition Market

The sports nutrition market is a rapidly growing segment of the nutrition industry. It focuses on supplements, drinks, and foods designed to improve sports performance.

Once solely the remit of athletes, sports nutrition has now gone mainstream thanks to large-scale advertising campaigns (we’re looking at you Lucozade) and the growth of the fitness market.

• The global sports nutrition market was worth $45.2bn in 2023 (up from $42.9bn in 2022) [Grand View Research].
• The sports nutrition industry is growing at a rate of 7.5% each year [Grand View Research].
• In the USA, sports supplements are the largest market sector accounting for 80%, followed by meal replacement and weight loss products [Grand View Research].
• The growth of gyms and fitness studios was previously fuelling an increase in sports nutrition product sales however recent global events have reversed this trend [Wellness Creative Co].
• The vast majority of products are still sold through bricks and mortar stores, despite the boom in e-commerce [Grand View Research].
• North America accounts for 61% of product sales [Grand View Research].

This is also driving an entire industry of white label supplement manufacturing. Entrepreneurs are jumping on the opportunity by developing their own brands then outsourcing the production to specialist companies.

Protein Market

The protein market is expected to reach $32.6bn by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 8% between now and then. According to Google Trends data, interest in protein powder is steadily increasing. However, growth in plant-based products is outpacing whey products and the overall segment. The pea protein market, in particular, is expected to increase at a CAGR of 20% between now and 2026.

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Nutrition Statistics 

These general nutrition stats demonstrate the needs of the market and the potential demand for nutritional products.

• Fruit & Veg – less than 1 in 10 US adults eat enough fruits and vegetables [CDC].
• Hydration – 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated [DripDrop].
• Special Diets – In the UK, 11% of the population follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, 10% low or no-carb, 6% gluten-free, 5% lactose-free, and 5% pescetarian [Statista].  
• Obesity – has almost tripled globally since 1975 – more than 1.9bn adults were overweight in 2016, of which 650m were obese [WHO].
• Deficiencies – UK men are deficient in selenium, magnesium, and vitamin A deficiency (affecting 26%, 14%, and 11% of men respectively), and women are deficient in iron, selenium, and potassium (affecting 25%, 50%, and 24%) [NHS].

2024 Nutrition Industry Report

This is the most comprehensive and up-to-date nutrition industry research report available. Unlike others, you get extended access to the 2024 edition, including any updates that are made as new market data becomes available. Ideal for business planning, the 60-page report includes…

• Nutrition industry growth, revenue & future predictions
• Impact of recent global events & estimated recovery timelines
• Growth markets, segments & audiences including Millennials
• Latest industry trends & how to capitalise on them
• Financial information for the largest nutrition manufacturers globally
• Biggest & fastest-growing nutrition brands
• 14-day money-back guarantee, no questions or hassle​

2024 Nutrition Industry Market Report