Nonprofit and think tank the Good Food Institute Europe today released a new analysis on the retail sales of plant-based foods in France between 2022 and 2024, based on Circana data. The report reveals strong market growth amid easing food inflation, marked by rising sales volumes and increased consumer interest.

A thriving market

In 2024, five categories of plant-based foods –   meat, milk and beverages, cheese, yoghurt, and cream – reached a combined value of €537 million, representing a 20.5% increase since 2022 and an 8.8% increase since 2023. Over the same period, total sales volume grew by 7.5%, with a notable acceleration between 2023 and 2024. Across all five categories in 2024, French consumers bought:

• 232 million units (+7.9% vs 2023)
• 147 million kg (+5.1% vs 2023)

This growth comes as food inflation, which peaked at a historic 15.9% in March 2023, has begun to decline.

From meat to cheese, growth across all categories

Between 2023 and 2024, all plant-based categories experienced value, volume, and unit sales growth.

Plant-based milks are the most established segment, holding 8.1% of the total French milk market by value and 4.9% by volume. They account for 42% of total plant-based sales value, followed by plant-based meat (29%) and plant-based yoghurt (19%).

Although still a smaller segment, plant-based cheese is the fastest-growing category, with a +19.5% increase in volume and +18.6% growth in annual sales value from 2023 to 2024. This is followed by plant-based meat (+15.5% in value and 12.1% in volume) and plant-based cream (+8.9% in value and +11.3% in volume).

Private label: growth amid shifting preferences

Private-label products are playing an increasingly important role in the plant-based space, with volume growth of 8.9% between 2023 and 2024, and 21.6% since 2022. Their popularity stems from generally lower prices, particularly for plant-based milks and beverages.

However, despite their affordability, private-label options are losing market share in the plant-based meat and yoghurt categories – suggesting that taste and quality are the decisive factors for existing consumers of these categories.

A strategic opportunity for France

Separate data from Euromonitor shows that many of the top-selling plant-based brands in France are themselves French. Domestic production creates opportunities to enhance food sovereignty and national leadership in sustainable food systems. Expanding the domestic plant-based sector and diversifying protein sources offers a wide range of societal benefits – from reducing the environmental impact of the food system and preserving natural resources, to supporting public health through foods that can help lower the risk of conditions such as heart disease and bowel cancer. These developments also support greater consumer choice, drive industrial innovation and economic resilience.

“The accelerating growth of the plant-based sector in France reflects rising consumer demand and the increased availability of more affordable private-label options. As inflation slows and sales volumes grow, it’s clear that both affordability and taste remain key to meeting consumer expectations.

“This momentum offers a valuable opportunity to strengthen public-private collaboration, direct investment into alternative protein infrastructure, and drive economic growth, job creation and lasting gains for food security and sustainability.”
— Hélène Grosshans, Infrastructure Investment Manager, the Good Food Institute Europe