According to a new report by nonprofit think tank the Good Food Institute Europe, based on Circana and NIQ Homescan data, retail sales of plant-based foods reached €546 million in 2025, up 7.7% in value and 6.6% in volume from the previous year.

The report, which analyses the evolution of categories including plant-based meat, milk and drinks, cheese and yoghurt between 2023 and 2025, shows a market that continues to grow steadily, although with significant differences between categories.

Nearly half of Spanish households bought plant-based milk in 2025

Plant-based milk and drinks, which have been on supermarket shelves for longer than other categories, remain the main driver of Spain’s plant-based market. In 2025, the category reached €355 million in sales and grew by 5.8% in volume, consolidating its position as the most widely adopted plant-based category in Spanish households.

Plant-based milk now accounts for 10.4% of all milk retail sales in Spain, reflecting how these alternatives have moved beyond niche consumption and become increasingly mainstream.

The analysis also found that 47.6% of Spanish households purchased plant-based milk at least once during 2025, and frequent buyers continued to grow year on year. The proportion of households purchasing plant-based milk and drinks an average of at least once a month rose from 16% in 2023 to 18.2% in 2025.

The report also highlights a shift towards higher-value plant-based products. “Barista-style” plant-based drinks designed for coffee and hot beverages continued to grow despite their higher prices, suggesting that taste, texture and functionality are important drivers of consumer choice in this category.

Plant-based yoghurt accelerates growth in Spain

Plant-based yoghurt was another strong-performing category in the Spanish market. In 2025, sales volumes increased by 22.8%, reaching €118 million in value, driven by more expensive branded products. This again suggests that taste and quality are decisive factors for consumers.

Price remains the main challenge for plant-based meat

In the plant-based meat category, high prices are holding sales back, as  volumes declined by 7% in 2025. Plant-based meat currently costs more than twice as much as conventional meat in Spain, a significantly wider price gap than in markets such as France, where the premium is closer to 25%. In a 2023 European consumer survey, 41% of Spanish respondents identified price as the main barrier to purchasing more plant-based foods.

Despite this, nearly one in five Spanish households purchased plant-based meat at least once during 2025, highlighting continued interest and curiosity around these foods.

At the same time, products such as tofu and seitan continue to gain ground among Spanish consumers. Their sales volumes grew by 8.6% in 2025, driven largely by affordability: they currently cost up to 2.6 times less than plant-based meat. Nevertheless, plant-based meat sales volumes remained 42% higher than tofu and seitan combined, suggesting that products replicating the taste, texture or format of conventional meat remain more appealing to Spanish consumers.

This evolution shows clear interest in diversifying protein sources, but also strong price sensitivity among Spanish consumers, particularly in a context of persistent food inflation.

A more demanding consumer and an evolving market

The report also reflects the evolution of Spain’s plant-based market itself. After several years marked by the growth of private-label products, branded sales once again grew in categories such as plant-based milk and yoghurt, suggesting that consumers are increasingly willing to prioritise attributes such as taste, innovation and nutritional quality.

Carlos Campillos Martínez, Regional Manager for Spain and Portugal at GFI Europe, said: “Spain’s plant-based market has the potential to deliver tangible benefits for public health, sustainability and food system resilience. Consumers are increasingly looking for options aligned with these values, but they also expect products that are tasty, affordable and convenient enough to fit into everyday life. The categories that respond best to those expectations are precisely the ones seeing the strongest growth, while price remains one of the biggest barriers to wider adoption.

“Plant-based milk is already part of the regular shopping basket for millions of Spanish households. The challenge now is ensuring that the government and industry invest in research so that other categories, such as plant-based meat, can also compete on price, accessibility and consumer experience while delivering environmental, economic and health benefits.”

Spain’s strategic opportunity in alternative proteins

Spain is well-positioned to become a leading hub for alternative proteins in southern Europe, thanks to its agricultural, scientific and industrial capabilities.

Recent analysis suggests that Spain’s alternative protein market could reach €6.7 billion by 2040 and support up to 34,000 jobs, creating new opportunities for the country’s food, agricultural and technology sectors.

“The opportunity for Spain is enormous: we have the scientific, entrepreneurial and agricultural talent needed to become a European leader in alternative proteins. But unlocking that potential will require public investment in R&D while the food and retail sectors can explore innovative solutions to address the price barrier and meet the growing demand for plant-based foods among the Spanish population,” Campillos Martínez concluded., opening new opportunities across the value chain while reducing dependence on imports.