Plant-based retail sales data for six European countries: 2021-early 2024
Sales of plant-based foods across six European countries were worth €5.4 billion in 2023 – up by 5.5% compared with 2022. Over the same period, the volume of plant-based food sold grew by 3.5%.
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Containing full segment breakdowns and key insights.
GFI Europe’s analysis of retail sales data from Circana covering six key European countries and up to nine product categories reflects an evolving sector still making headway during a turbulent period for the food system.
In the context of prevailing economic headwinds for the food sector as a whole, headline numbers show that the total value of plant-based food sales grew between 2022 and 2023 in five of the six countries covered, partly due to price inflation across the food sector. Germany, already the largest market for plant-based foods in Europe, continued to show impressive volume growth across almost all product categories, while the overall volume of sales grew in Spain and France, remained stable in Italy and shrank in the UK and the Netherlands.
Better taste and lower prices are key drivers of growth
While unique circumstances have affected the plant-based market in each country, research shows that the two biggest barriers to Europeans eating more plant-based foods are price and taste.
Inflation has increased prices across Europe’s food sector in recent years, but plant-based foods, which were already more expensive than their animal-based equivalents, have been particularly hard hit. However, in categories that have managed to make progress towards price parity, sales have increased. Branded plant-based cream, for example, is now cheaper than branded conventional cream in the UK and Germany, and plant-based cream saw strong sales growth in those markets between 2022 and 2023. In Germany, overall sales growth has been strongly driven by retailers’ own-brand versions of plant-based products, which tend to be cheaper than branded plant-based products. For example, in Germany, private-label plant-based milk is now 13% cheaper per litre than private-label conventional milk.
Declining sales volumes in some categories, including plant-based meat, suggest that manufacturers need to develop products that meet consumers’ expectations on taste and price. Growth in the emerging categories of plant-based cheese and cream shows that there is still a strong appetite for plant-based products, with growth possibly driven by improvements in taste and price. The already well-established plant-based milk and drinks market continues to grow overall, suggesting that it is successfully meeting the needs of many consumers.
Plant-based options still make up a small proportion of Europe’s grocery market, but our analysis shows that lower prices can power the growth of these sustainable foods. Policymakers and the food industry must continue to invest in innovation and scale-up to deliver on the plant-based sector’s potential to help build a diversified, resilient and healthy European food system.
These reports cover data from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK. Dive into our overviews of the countries and categories below, and read the full reports for more insights in English and local languages.
Comprising 41% of total plant-based sales value in 2023 across the six countries in this report, plant-based milk and drinks was the sector leader, followed by plant-based meat at 37%. Plant-based cheese and cream, while still small in terms of overall market size, have grown rapidly.
The sales value of plant-based milk and other dairy alternative drinks (such as iced coffee) across six countries grew by 7.1% between 2022 and 2023 to €2.2 billion. In the same period, the number of plant-based milk and drink units sold grew by 4.7%, and the volume of these products sold grew by 5.2%.
Germany had the highest plant-based milk sales in 2023, worth €805 million, possibly driven by progress towards price parity with conventional milk.
The data shows plant-based milk and drinks are becoming mainstream in several countries. As a percentage of the 2023 retail sales volume of all milk, both plant-based and conventional, their market share ranged from 4.6% in France to 9.8% in Germany.
Furthermore, household panel data from Kantar and CPS/GfK shows that in 2023, over one third of consumers in Germany and Great Britain bought plant-based milk at least once, with the figure reaching 40% in Spain.
Our analysis shows the sales value of plant-based meat across the six countries grew by 3.9% between 2022 and 2023, reaching €2 billion, while unit sales* remained steady and sales volume decreased by 3.2%.
Germany was the country with the highest plant-based meat sales in 2023, worth €922 million.
In line with broader food inflation, the average price per kg of plant-based meat has tended to rise over time, as has that of animal-based meat. While plant-based meat continues to have a price premium over conventional meat, in Germany and the Netherlands, the premium has reduced over time. In Spain, the price premium has risen slowly.
Plant-based meat is being purchased by a meaningful proportion of consumers. Household panel data from Kantar and CPS/GfK shows that in 2023, 19% of households in Spain bought plant-based meat alternatives at least once, with the figure being 33% in Great Britain and 37% in Germany.
*No unit sales data was available for the Netherlands for plant-based meat.
The value of plant-based yoghurt sales across six countries grew 7% between 2022 and 2023 to €582 million. In the same period, unit sales rose 0.9%, and sales volume fell by 3.3%.
Partial year data for 2024 in all six countries indicates that the weekly average sales volume of plant-based yoghurt is higher than the 2023 weekly average, possibly indicating a rebound after a dip in sales volume between 2022 and 2023.
The value of plant-based cheese sales across six countries grew by 7% between 2022 and 2023 to €194 million. In the same period, unit sales grew by 10%, and sales volume* grew by 9%.
The largest market for plant-based cheese is Germany, with a sales value of €139 million in 2023. Plant-based cheese saw significant growth in sales volume between 2022 and 2023 in several countries, rising by 24% in France, 34% in Spain and 33% in Italy.
*No sales volume data was available for the Netherlands for plant-based cheese.
Among countries with available data (France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and the UK), the value of plant-based cream sales grew by 24% between 2022 and 2023 to €138 million. In the same period, unit sales grew by 22%, and sales volume grew by 21%.
Germany was the country with the highest plant-based cream sales in 2023, worth €74 million.
The price premium of plant-based over conventional cream has decreased in some countries, possibly contributing to strong sales performance. For example, in the UK and Germany branded plant-based cream is now cheaper per kg, on average, than branded conventional cream.
Among countries with available data (France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and the UK), the value of plant-based dessert sales fell 3% between 2022 and 2023 to €110 million. In the same period, unit sales fell by 12%, and volume sales fell by 11%.
Among the countries for which animal-based product data is available (the Netherlands, Germany and the UK), dairy desserts also saw falling sales volumes between 2022 and 2023. With many European countries having experienced pressures on the cost of living, it is likely that many consumers have cut back on desserts, as a non-essential category.
France had the highest plant-based dessert sales in 2023, worth €52 million.
Across countries with available data (France, Italy and the UK), the value of plant-based ice cream sales declined by 8% between 2022 and 2023 to €88 million. In the same period, unit sales and sales volume both fell by 14%.
As with desserts, it is possible that the cost-of-living crisis has put pressure on sales of ice cream. In the only country for which animal-based data is available (the UK), sales volumes of dairy ice cream fell by 11% between 2022 and 2023.
The UK is the biggest retail market for plant-based ice cream of the three countries, worth €43 million in 2023.
Among countries with available data (France, Germany and the UK), the value of plant-based ready meals sales decreased by 10% between 2022 and 2023 to €44 million. In the same period, unit sales fell by 11%, and sales volume fell by 12%, possibly influenced by rising prices per kg and broader pressures on consumer budgets.
Among countries with available data (Germany and the UK), the value of plant-based seafood sales grew by 10% between 2022 and 2023 to €42 million. In the same period, unit sales grew by 6%, and sales volume remained steady.
Country-level reports
There was considerable variation seen across countries in terms of growth and category popularity. Find below full breakdowns of data by country, including links to download the full reports in both local languages and in English.
Despite inflation across the whole food sector, demand for plant-based foods in France remains steady.
France’s plant-based retail market was valued at €648 million in 2023. Overall sales volume increased by 2% between 2022 and 2023. Sales value grew by 11% over the same period, which can be largely attributed to inflation.
Plant-based meat is the largest plant-based category in France by sales value, at €221 million in 2023, and the category has continued to experience steady growth, increasing by 3.4% in sales volume between 2022 and 2023.
Plant-based milk and drink sales also increased, totalling €211 million in 2023, and growing by 2.6% in sales volume between 2022 and 2023.
The fastest growing category was plant-based cheese, with annual growth of 24% in sales volume and 34% in sales value, reaching €10 million in 2023.
For more insights and a full breakdown by country, read the full country report for France linked below, available in French and English.
Germany has by far the largest retail market for plant-based food of the six countries covered in our research and continues to show strong growth, driven largely by private-label sales (i.e. supermarket and discount store own-label products).
Germany’s plant-based retail market was worth €2.2 billion in 2023, and the data demonstrates that consumers there are buying more plant-based foods, as sales grew by 8% in value, 9% in unit sales and 11% in volume between 2022 and 2023.
Data for the early months of 2024 suggests that average weekly sales value, units and volume continue to increase relative to those of 2023.
The largest plant-based category in Germany is plant-based meat, with sales worth €922 million in 2023,and sales volume remained roughly level between 2022 and 2023.
Plant-based milk and drinks is the second-largest plant-based category in Germany, worth€805 million in 2023, and the category continues to experience steady growth in sales volume.
Private-label plant-based milk and drinks cost an average of €1.12/litre in 2023 – lower than the average of €1.30/litre for private-label conventional milk and dairy drinks.
The fastest-growing category was plant-based cream, which grew by 37% in terms of volume between 2022 and 2023 and 118% between 2021 and 2023.
37% of German households bought plant-based meat alternatives at least once during 2023 – an increase from 34% in 2021 – with over two-thirds of those households buying it more than once.
37% of German households bought plant-based milk at least once during 2023, with three-quarters of those households buying more than once.
Plant-based sales summary by category, Germany, 2021-2023
Germany household purchase patterns, penetration and repeat rate for plant-based food, 2021-2023
Data source: German CPS GfK/YouGov Consumer Panel CP+ 2.0 FMCG, gross sample 30,000 households, years 2021, 2022, 2023, penetration %, repeat rate % for plant-based meat (meat analogues) including the frozen category and plant based milk. The panel is representative of all households in Germany with household members aged 16 and over, continuously and electronically records purchases for private consumption and shows them weighted and extrapolated.
For more insights and a full breakdown by country, read the full country report for Germany linked below, available in German and English.
In Italy, demand for plant-based foods has remained steady, while sales value increased by 8% to €641 million between 2022 and 2023, partly due to inflation.
Plant-based milk and drinks have the highest sales value, at €315 million in 2023, up slightly from 2022 but with sales volume remaining roughly constant.
Plant-based meat sales increased by 13% in value and 8% in volume between 2022 and 2023, totalling €199 million in 2023.
The fastest growing category was plant-based cheese, with sales volume increasing one-third between 2022 and 2023 and sales value rising 40% to €15 million in 2023.
Italy plant-based sales summary by category, 2021-2023
For more insights and a full breakdown by country, read the full country report for Italy linked below, available in Italian and English.
In the Netherlands, rising food prices coincided with a decline in unit and volume sales of plant-based foods between 2022 and 2023. But data for the early part of 2024 suggests that overall average weekly sales volume and units sales are holding steady, while plant-based meat sales by volume have increased slightly relative to 2023.
The Netherlands retail market for plant-based food was valued at €309 million in 2023, an increase of 1.1% compared to 2022.
Plant-based meat is the largest plant-based category at €144 million in 2023, though it declined in sales volume between 2022 and 2023.
Plant-based milk and drinks had a market share of 8% by volume of total plant- and animal-based milk and dairy drinks in the Netherlands in 2023.
The fastest growing category was plant-based cream, which grew 5% in sales volume between 2022 and 2023 and had a market value of €5.4 million in 2023.
Overview of plant-based food sales by category in the Netherlands, 2021-2023
For more insights and a full breakdown by category, read the full country report for The Netherlands linked below, available in Dutch and English.
In Spain, the plant-based food retail market is still growing overall despite inflation across the food sector, albeit with mixed performance across product categories.
Sales of plant-based food in Spain were worth €451 million in 2023. Consumers are buying more plant-based foods, as sales grew by 7.5% in value and 6.4% in volume between 2022 and 2023.
Plant-based milk and drinks are the biggest category, at €308 million in 2023. The category continues to grow, increasing by 8% in sales volume and 9% in sales value between 2022 and 2023.
The fastest growing category was plant-based cheese, with a 34% rise in volume and a 48% increase in sales value between 2022 and 2023.
One fifth of Spanish households bought plant-based meat alternatives in 2023 – a fraction that has remained similar since 2021.
40% of Spanish households bought plant-based milk in 2023 – a rise since 37% in 2021 – and three-quarters of those households bought it more than once.
Plant-based sales summary by category in Spain, 2022-2023
Spain: household purchase patterns, penetration and repeat rate for plant-based food, 2021-2023
Data source: Kantar’s ES Grocery Consumer Panel, gross sample 12,500 households, 52w/e December 2021, 2022, 2023, penetration %, repeat rate % for plant-based meat alternatives (meat analogues) and plant-based milk. The panel is representative of households in Spain (excluding Ceuta and Melilla) with household main shoppers aged 18 and over. It continuously and electronically records purchases taken back into the home for private consumption and shows them weighted and extrapolated.
For our Spanish market deep-dive analysis, and a full breakdown by category, read the full reports linked below, available in Spanish and English.
Amid a cost-of-living crisis and inflation across the food sector as a whole, the sales data demonstrates that consumers in the UK are buying fewer plant-based foods, with a 9% decline in sales volume and 3% decline in sales value between 2022 and 2023. However, data for early 2024 suggests that the rate of decline is slowing in some categories.
Plant-based milk and drinks have the highest sales, worth £404 million in 2023.
The fastest growing category was plant-based cream, which grew 10% in volume and 23% in sales value between 2022 and 2023, reaching £10 million, as branded products became cheaper per litre than branded conventional cream.
One-third of households in Great Britain bought plant-based meat alternatives in 2023, demonstrating their mainstream status despite a decline in sales.
Over a third of households in Great Britain bought plant-based milk in 2023, with nearly three-quarters of those households buying more than once.
Overview of plant-based food sales by category in the UK, 2022-2023
For more insights and a full breakdown by category, read the full country report for the UK linked below, available in English.
“Europe’s plant-based sector has continued to make headway despite a difficult few years for the wider food industry. Plant-based meat and dairy are becoming mainstream options in many European countries, emerging plant-based categories are growing, and some products are beginning to compete with their animal-based counterparts on price.
“Our analysis finds that lower prices and higher quality can power the growth of these more sustainable options, so policymakers and manufacturers should continue to invest in innovation and infrastructure to develop tastier, more affordable products capable of building a diversified, resilient and healthy European food system.”
Helen Breewood, Research and Resource Manager, the Good Food Institute Europe
About the data
This report is based on sales data gathered by Circana from retailers in six countries. The data has been analysed by the Good Food Institute Europe.
This report’s findings about household purchase patterns are based on household panel data from Kantar’s GB and ES Grocery Consumer Panels and the German CPS GfK/YouGov Consumer Panel CP+ 2.0 FMCG, which measure penetration and repeat rate for plant-based meat alternatives and plant-based milk.
