Market insights on European plant-based sales 2020-2022 - GFI Europe (2024)

Austria

Austria represents one of the smaller retail markets for plant-based food in Europe. However, sales data demonstrates that consumer demand is growing rapidly, as sales grew by 22% between 2020 and 2022 to €99.6 million.

• Plant-based milk is the most developed of all plant-based categories. Plant-based milk sales were €49.6 million in 2022, and the category continued to experience steady growth.
• Plant-based meat sales continued to increase, totalling €25.3 million in 2022, and growing 27% between 2020 and 2022.
• One of the least developed categories, but the fastest growing, is plant-based seafood. At €1.7 million in sales in 2022, plant-based seafood is still a small category but growing rapidly, with more than 1,327% growth since 2020.

For more insights and a full breakdown by category, read the full country report for Austria linked below, available in German and English.

Belgium

The Belgian plant-based food retail market has remained mostly steady between 2020 and 2022, growing by 1% to €163.5 million.

• Plant-based milk is the most developed of all plant-based categories. However, sales value declined by 1% and unit sales by 6% in 2022. This is in line with the animal-based milk category where unit sales also declined by 6%.
• Plant-based meat sales continued to increase, totalling €54.3 million in 2022, and growing by 4% between 2020 and 2022.

• One of the least developed categories, but the fastest growing, is plant-based seafood. At €670,000 in sales in 2022, plant-based seafood is still a very small category but growing rapidly, with more than 37% growth since 2020.

For more insights and a full breakdown by category, read the full country report for Belgium linked below, available in Dutch, French and English.

Denmark

Danish consumers have one of Europe’s highest per capita consumption rates of plant-based foods. This is in line with overall sales trends in Denmark, where sales of plant-based foods grew by 17% between 2020 and 2022 to 784 million kroner.

• Plant-based milk is the most developed of all plant-based categories. Plant-based milk sales were 346.3 million kroner (€46.5 million) in 2022, and the category continued to experience steady growth.
• Plant-based meat sales grew to 230.1 million kroner (€30.9 million) in 2022, rebounding after a dip in 2021. The dip in the value of sales in 2021 was driven by the average price per unit of plant-based meat decreasing by 4%, as unit sales only decreased by 0.3%.
• Plant-based spreads and meals saw robust, double-digit growth, growing by 34% and 42%, respectively, in 2022.
• Plant-based categories grow more rapidly than animal-based categories. Unit sales growth of the plant-based milk, meat, and cheese categories outpaced that of animal-based categories in 2022.

For more insights and a full breakdown by category, read the full country report for Denmark linked below, available in Danish and English.

France

The French plant-based food retail market is the fifth largest in Europe, and sales continue to grow – increasing by 5% to €425.7 million between 2020 and 2022.

• Plant-based milk is the most developed of all plant-based categories, with plant-based milk sales totalling €189.8 million in 2022.
• Plant-based meat sales continued to increase, growing by 17% between 2020 and 2022 to €112.5 million.
• One of the least developed categories, but the fastest growing, is plant-based cheese. At €7.4 million in sales in 2022, plant-based cheese is still a small category but growing rapidly, with more than 674% growth since 2020.

For more insights and a full breakdown by country, read the full country report for France linked below, available in French and English.

Germany

The German plant-based food retail market is the largest in Europe, and sales continue to experience strong growth – increasing by 42% between 2020 and 2022 to €1.91 billion.

• Plant-based meat is the most developed of all plant-based categories. Plant-based meat sales were €642.8 million in 2022, and the category continues to experience consistent growth.
• Plant-based milk sales continue to increase, totalling €552.3 million in 2022, and growing by 43% between 2020 and 2022.
• Almost every category grew in 2022. The fastest-growing categories were plant-based seafood, meals, cream and dessert.

For more insights and a full breakdown by country, read the full country report for Germany linked below, available in German and English.

Italy

The Italian plant-based food retail market is the third largest in Europe, and sales continue to grow – increasing by 21% to €680.9 million between 2020 and 2022.

• Plant-based milk is the most developed of all plant-based categories. Plant-based milk sales were €310.4 million in 2022, and the category continued to experience steady growth.
• Plant-based meat sales continued to increase, totalling €168.4 million in 2022, growing 40% between 2020 and 2022.
• Every category grew in 2022. The fastest-growing categories were plant-based meals, plant-based meat, and plant-based ice cream – all demonstrating double-digital growth in sales value in 2022.
• Plant-based categories grew more rapidly than animal-based categories. Unit sales growth of the plant-based milk, meat, and yoghurt categories outpaced that of animal-based categories in 2022.

For more insights and a full breakdown by country, read the full country report for Italy linked below, available in Italian and English.

Netherlands

The Dutch plant-based food retail market is the sixth largest in Europe, and Dutch consumers have the highest per capita consumption rates of plant-based foods. This is in line with overall sales trends in the Netherlands, where sales of plant-based foods grew by 9% between 2020 and 2022 to €441.4 million.

• Plant-based meat is the most developed of all plant-based categories, although in 2022 the value of plant-based meat sales declined by 4%, and unit sales declined by 5%. This is in line with the animal-based meat category where unit sales also declined by 6%.
• Plant-based milk sales continued to increase, totalling €106.2 million in 2022, representing growth of 14% between 2020 and 2022.

• One of the least developed categories, but the fastest growing, is plant-based cheese. At €8.8 million in sales in 2022, plant-based cheese is still a small category but growing rapidly, with more than 60% growth since 2020.

For more insights and a full breakdown by category, read the full country report for The Netherlands linked below, available in Dutch and English.

Poland

The Polish plant-based food retail market is less mature than some of the other countries researched, but the data reveals rapid growth in consumer demand. Sales of plant-based foods grew by 109%* between 2020 and 2022 to 729 million zloty.

• Plant-based milk is the most developed of all plant-based categories. Plant-based milk sales were 387.1 million zloty (€82.5 million) in 2022, and the category continued to experience steady growth.
• Every category grew in 2022. The fastest-growing categories were plant-based milk, plant-based cheese, plant-based yoghurt, and plant-based dessert – all demonstrating double-digit growth in sales value in 2022.

• Plant-based categories grow more rapidly than animal-based categories. Unit sales growth of the plant-based milk, yoghurt, and cheese categories outpaced that of animal-based categories in 2022.

*The increase in sales value between 2020 and 2022 was driven significantly by the inclusion of the plant-based meat category for the first time in NielsenIQ’s plant-based food retail sales accounting. NielsenIQ did not track plant-based meat sales in 2020 and 2021. If omitting the plant-based meat category, plant-based foods grew by 59% between 2020 and 2022.

For more insights and a full breakdown by category, read the full country report for Poland linked below, available in Polish and English.

Portugal

The Portuguese plant-based food retail market is small among others in Europe. However, sales data reveal that consumer demand is growing, as sales of plant-based foods grew by 20% between 2020 and 2022 to €64.7 million.

• Plant-based milk is the most developed of all plant-based categories. Plant-based milk sales were €40.4 million in 2022, and the category continued to experience steady growth.
• Plant-based meat sales continued to increase, totalling €7.6 million in 2022, and growing by 85% between 2020 and 2022.
• One of the least developed categories, although the fastest growing, is plant-based cheese. At €1.4 million in sales in 2022, plant-based cheese is still a very small category but growing rapidly, with more than 96% growth since 2020.

• Plant-based categories grew more rapidly than animal-based categories. Unit sales growth of the plant-based milk, meat, yoghurt and cheese categories outpaced that of animal-based categories in 2022.

For more insights and a full breakdown by category, read the full country report for Portugal linked below, available in Portuguese and English.

Romania

The Romanian plant-based food retail market is the smallest of all countries researched. However, sales data demonstrates that consumer demand is growing rapidly, as sales of plant-based foods grew by 67% between 2020 and 2022 to 163.5 million lei.

• Plant-based milk is the most developed plant-based category. Plant-based milk sales were 115.4 million lei (€23.6 million) in 2022, and the category continued to experience double-digit growth.

• Plant-based meat sales grew to 48.1 million lei (€9.8 million) in 2022, also experiencing strong growth.

For more insights and a full breakdown by category, read the full country report for Romania linked below, available in Romanian and English.

Spain

The Spanish plant-based food retail market is the fourth largest market in Europe, and sales continue to grow – increasing by 9% between 2020 and 2022 to €447.4 million.

• Plant-based milk is the most developed of all plant-based categories. Plant-based milk sales were €352.8 million in 2022, and the category continues to experience steady growth.
• The value of plant-based meat sales declined in 2022 to €84.7 million, although the category has still seen 25% growth between 2020 and 2022.

• One of the least developed categories, but the fastest growing, is plant-based seafood. At €1.7 million in sales in 2022, plant-based seafood is still a small category but growing rapidly, with more than 6,430% growth since 2020.

For more insights and a full breakdown by category, read the full country report for Spain linked below, available in Spanish and English.

Sweden

The Swedish plant-based food retail market has remained mostly steady between 2020 and 2022, growing 0.3% to 2.22 billion kronor. In 2022, the value of plant-based meat, cheese, and yoghurt sales declined, while plant-based milk sales increased. Nevertheless, Swedish consumers maintain one of Europe’s highest per capita consumption rates of plant-based foods.

• Plant-based meat and milk are the most developed plant-based categories. While the value of plant-based meat sales decreased, plant-based milk sales grew to 975.5 million kronor (€86.1 million) in 2022.
• The value of plant-based yoghurt and cheese sales declined in 2022 to 185.1 million kronor (€16.3 million) and 80.3 million kronor (€7.1 million) respectively.
• Swedish consumers have the third highest plant-based food consumption rate in Europe. Despite the sales decline in many categories, Swedish consumers still have the highest per capita consumption rate of plant-based milk, and the second highest consumption rate of both plant-based meat and cheese in Europe.

For more insights and a full breakdown by category, read the full country report for Sweden linked below, available in Swedish and English.

United Kingdom

The UK plant-based food retail market is the second largest in Europe, and the value of plant-based food sales grew 9% between 2020 and 2022 to £963.8 million(€1.08 billion).

• Plant-based meat is the most developed of all plant-based categories. After a strong 2021 where plant-based meat pound sales grew by 11%, in 2022 the value of plant-based meat sales declined by 8%.
• Plant-based milk sales continued to increase, totalling £276.2 million (€308.7 million) in 2022, growing by 24% between 2020 and 2022.
• One of the least developed categories, but the fastest growing, is plant-based cream. At £3.7 million (€4.1 million) in sales in 2022, plant-based cream is still a small category but growing rapidly, with 49% growth between 2020 and 2022.

For more insights and a full breakdown by category, read the full country report for the UK linked below, available in English.