German market for dietary supplements continues to grow uninterruptedly

03-Dec-2024
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The market for dietary supplements in Germany continues to grow and is estimated to reach 1.78 billion euros in 2023. This is the conclusion of a new study by market researcher Mintel. Last year, the market grew by 4.8 percent. In times of global crisis, consumers' health awareness is also declining. As a result, they are turning to dietary supplements more frequently - despite the generally uncertain economic situation and inflation. Mintel also expects the market to develop positively in the future: Sales are expected to increase by 15 percent to 2.05 million euros by 2028.

German consumers' top three vitamins are:

  • Vitamin D (42% of respondents had used this supplement in the 12 months prior to the study)
  • Vitamin C (34 percent)
  • Multivitamin supplements (32 percent)

Germany's most popular minerals are

  • Magnesium (65 percent of consumers)
  • Iron (34 percent)
  • Calcium (30 percent)

Despite the influence of inflation on willingness to buy, the number of daily receipts is increasing

The ongoing crisis is having an impact on Germans' perception of their health. According to another Mintel study, 48% of Germans rated themselves as healthy in 2023, compared to 55% in 2021.2 Looking at the market for dietary supplements, Hannah Sandow, Principal Health & Wellbeing Analyst at Mintel Germany, says: "The decline in health perception and the simultaneous increase in health awareness means that Germans are turning to dietary supplements despite inflation. However, some supplements are proving to be more crisis-proof than others. For example, only 31% of multivitamin users have reduced or stopped taking supplements due to financial concerns - the figure for vitamin A users was significantly higher at 60%." Overall, 65% of Germans took dietary supplements in 2023 - an increase of 5% compared to 2021.

Despite this positive development in the market, the impact of the increased cost of living cannot be completely negated. "The general economic situation is making itself felt and the high cost of living is causing many consumers to reconsider their future costs," Sandow concludes. "As a result, consumers are turning to private labels, limiting their consumption or even cutting back completely." 37% of users3 have stated that they have stopped or at least reduced their consumption due to financial concerns.

However, a look at the Germans who continue to rely on dietary supplements reveals a clear trend: 33% of respondents stated that they take dietary supplements every day last year, compared to 28% in 2020. In contrast, the proportion of people who have never taken dietary supplements has fallen to 22% (compared to 26% in 2020).

The ageing population is changing requirements for dietary supplements


Although 28% of respondents over the age of 65 have not yet tried dietary supplements, older consumers will play a greater role in the future. It is no longer a secret that the population in Germany is getting older and older. As a result, the health needs of the population are shifting, which will also have an impact on the market for dietary supplements. Supplements that have a positive effect on bones and joints will become increasingly important.

"From the age of 60, the metabolism slows down, which often leads to obesity in old age, in addition to the side effects of other medications. Bone structure and joints also change with age. These developments offer great opportunities for the food supplement market - not least because manufacturers are also contributing to an improvement in the overall health situation," concludes Sandow.

Note: This article has been translated using a computer system without human intervention. LUMITOS offers these automatic translations to present a wider range of current news. Since this article has been translated with automatic translation, it is possible that it contains errors in vocabulary, syntax or grammar. The original article in German can be found here.

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