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Report
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The structural changes taking place around people, products and marketplaces will continue to drive the shift in the health supplements industry from a traditional model of long product development cycles…
China
Vitamins, Minerals and Supplements
simple
China Health Supplements Market Report 2025
The structural changes taking place around people, products and marketplaces will continue to drive the shift in the health supplements industry from a traditional model of long product development cycles to one of shorter cycles driven by consumer demand.
What you need to know: size of China’s health supplements market and forecast
Factors affecting the health supplements market
Key changes in the health supplements industry over the past decade
Future opportunities in the health supplements industry
THE MARKET
Market size and forecast
Rise of online channels compensating for decline of offline, retail demand expected to maintain stable growth
Optimistic outlook for growth of minerals market in 2025, thanks to micro-innovations in calcium supplements
Graph 1: retail value sales of the vitamins market (RMB bn), 2021-25
Graph 2: retail value sales of the minerals market (RMB bn), 2021-25
Dietary supplements market to grow steadily in 2025, but varied performance in different segments
Graph 3: retail value sales of the dietary supplements market (RMB bn), 2021-25
Impressive sales of bone, sports, sleep and specialised cardiovascular health products; weight management, edible beauty and eye health performed poorly
Graph 4: top segments by value sales in health supplements/dietary supplements on Taobao/Tmall, January-June 2025
Health supplements market to maintain steady growth over next five years and surpass RMB300bn
Graph 5: best- and worst-case forecast of retail value sales for overall health supplements market, 2020-30
Expand dietary supplements market by incubating specialised functions; innovate in vitamins and minerals to overcome homogenisation
Market factors
People: expansion of consumer base injecting new growth momentum into the health supplements market
Graph 6: usage of health supplements – none of the above, 2020-25
People: expansion of consumer base injecting new growth momentum into the health supplements market
Graph 7: usage of health supplements – have taken it myself, by generation, 2025 vs 2023
Graph 8: usage of health supplements – have taken it myself, by city tier, 2025 vs 2023
Products: government policies encouraging innovation in specialised functions and dosage forms
Marketplaces: online growth shifting towards emerging channels, brands need to focus on emerging ecommerce as well as traditional ecommerce
Traditional ecommerce acts as a secure base for brands, while Douyin serves as an incubator for new players; Swisse, Move Free, WonderLab and Nuoteland have established presence across all three major platforms
PRODUCT INNOVATION TRENDS
Rapid rise in liquid dosage forms; liquid nutrition expected to be important area of innovation
Graph 9: share of dosage forms in new launches of vitamin and dietary supplements, 2022-25
Liquid dosage forms to improve compliance by addressing difficulty of swallowing in traditional dosage forms
Innovation in liquid forms also needs to address the technical issue of ingredient degradation
Innovation on specialised functions shows divergence, with beauty, weight and eye health declining, and growth in both traditional and new segments
Graph 10: share of functional claims in new launches of vitamin and dietary supplements, 2022-25
Innovation in probiotic supplements shifting from gut health to targeted health improvements
Graph 11: top functional benefits in probiotic health supplements/dietary nutritional supplements by value sales on Taobao/Tmall, 2024-25
Innovative products with specialised functions bring together benefits, scenarios and demographics
Innovations in vitamin and mineral supplements in overseas markets target a broader range of demographic groups…
Graph 12: proportion of demographic claims for new health supplements containing vitamins or minerals, 2024-25
Graph 13: proportion of demographic claims for new health supplements containing vitamins or minerals, 2024-25
…and are more evenly distributed across functions
Graph 14: proportion of functional claims for new health supplements containing vitamins or minerals, 2024-25
Graph 15: proportion of functional claims for new health supplements containing vitamins or minerals, 2024-25
Innovation ideas in overseas markets: extend vitamin supplements to cater to specific functional needs to gain differentiation advantage
CONSUMER TRENDS OVERVIEW
Enthusiasm for mineral supplements and probiotics remains strong
Graph 16: usage of health supplements, 2025
Graph 17: ranking of overall penetration of health supplements, 2024 vs 2025
Basic nutritional supplements need to continue to acquire new customers through micro-innovations
U-shaped pattern to demographics of health supplement consumers; Post-1995s and Post-2000s are the new consumption engine
Graph 18: usage of health supplements – number of types I have taken myself, by generation, 2023-25
Graph 19: usage of health supplements – have taken it myself, by generation, 2023 vs 2025
Consumption of health supplements is seeing new trends, caring for partners is worth further exploration
Graph 20: usage of health supplements – my partner/spouse has taken it, 2023-25
Gut health aside, consumers have some doubt over the necessity of health supplements
Graph 21: attitudes towards health improvement, 2025
In an era of health anxiety, health supplements need to incubate more specialised functions to align with consumers’ concerns
Graph 22: interest in health improvement vs interest in trying health supplements with this function, 2024-25
CONSUMER INSIGHTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
Key changes in the health supplements industry over the past decade
Opportunities for health supplements
Marketing approaches to watch: focusing on health anxieties while demonstrating efficacy
Consumers find it difficult to extricate themselves from most of the lifestyles that trigger health anxiety
Graph 23: lifestyles causing health anxiety vs lifestyles expected to become more common, 2025
Dietary and nutritional deficiencies resulting from modern social habits driving development of health supplements as a mitigator of health impacts
Consumers are aware of the health/nutritional impacts of dietary habits and view health supplements as a means of mitigation
Graph 24: own use of health supplements, by lifesyles that are expected to both trigger health anxiety and become more prevalent (TGI analysis), 2025
Products for afternoon tea lovers, meal replacement consumers and business travellers
High-income consumers more prone to health anxieties but favour TCM products that might not offer immediate benefits
Graph 25: lifestyles that trigger health anxiety – none of the above, by monthly personal income, 2025
Graph 26: usage of health supplements – I have taken TCM supplements myself (a), by monthly personal income, 2025
TCM products expected to focus more on efficacy to attract high-income individuals with health anxieties
Graph 27: interest in trying health supplement dosage forms, all consumers vs consumers with a monthly personal income of RMB12,000 and above, 2025
Consumers recognise the efficacy of health supplements to varying degrees; brands can convey empathy with scenario-based content
Graph 28: belief that taking health supplements can improve the following health areas, by lifestyles that are anticipated to simultaneously induce health anxiety and become more prevalent, TGI analysis, 2025
Example: consumers anxious about staying up late are more accepting of supplements for gut health
Graph 29: attitudes towards health improvement, 2025
Graph 30: belief that taking health supplements can improve digestion and gut health, by lifestyles that are anticipated to simultaneously induce health anxiety and become more prevalent, TGI analysis, 2025
Gut health supplements can incorporate late-night health anxiety scenarios in their content marketing
How should health supplements balance demonstrations of efficacy and content marketing?
Product segments to watch: heart and cardiovascular health are expected to undergo greater segmentation
Cardiovascular health/high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol/heart protection is the second largest functional segment
Graph 31: top segments by value sales in health supplements/dietary supplements on Taobao/Tmall, January-September 2025
Certification, natural and safe formulas and clinical data are crucial for a product’s credibility and promotion
Graph 32: perceptions of the efficacy of supplements for cardiovascular health, 2025
Consumers with spending power care more about products being tailored for usage scenarios
Graph 33: perception of the effectiveness of supplements for cardiovascular health – select options, by monthly personal income (TGI analysis), 2025
Graph 34: perception of the effectiveness of supplements for cardiovascular health – select options, by age (TGI analysis), 2025
Emotional fluctuations and lack of sleep to become key usage scenarios for cardiovascular health supplements
Graph 35: situations that cause concerns about cardiovascular health, 2025
Product example: Doppelherz coenzyme Q10 supplement range from Germany
Consumer demand for ingredients in cardiovascular health supplements becoming more refined, with greater focus on advanced ingredients
Graph 36: top ingredients/components in cardiovascular health supplements/dietary nutritional supplements by value sales on Tmall/Taobao, October 2024-September 2025
Consumers influenced by external information are more likely to trust cardiovascular health supplements with high-tech ingredients
Graph 37: perception of effectiveness of cardiovascular health supplements (select options), by situations that trigger cardiovascular health concerns, 2025
Cardiovascular supplements to move beyond blood lipids, blood pressure and blood sugar and focus on greater segmentation
Graph 38: future plans for preventing cardiovascular health issues – taking health supplements with this function (a), 2025
Emerging target groups to watch: focus on men’s anti-ageing needs and help them manage their wellbeing with confidence
Women still the main consumers of health supplements, but demand among men is growing
Graph 39: usage of health supplements – number of types I have taken myself, by gender, 2023-25
Graph 40: usage of health supplements – have taken it myself, by gender, 2025 vs 2023
Anti-ageing among men needs urgent attention
Graph 41: forecast of male and female average life expectancy, 2019-35
Men to become a new force in the anti-ageing health supplements market
Graph 42: attitudes towards delaying ageing – I think taking health supplements (a) can delay ageing effectively, by gender and age, 2025
Men’s perception of ageing includes both traditional and newer ideas
Graph 43: perceived signs of ageing among men, 2021 vs 2025
Graph 44: changes in perception of the signs of ageing among men of different age groups, 2021 vs 2025
Health supplements can be combined with facial skincare to offer men a comprehensive and convenient skin anti-ageing solution
Graph 45: male consumers’ usage of anti-ageing products/services – using now, 2024-25
Graph 46: male consumers’ usage of anti-ageing products/services, 2025
Sales of pre-pregnancy health supplements are cooling, while blood and qi nourishing health supplements are in favour
Graph 47: [no title]
Men are ready to break out of the constraints of traditional masculinity and explore new ways of emotional regulation
Graph 48: attitudes towards health supplements, by gender and age, 2024
Graph 49: emotional regulation methods – never tried but interested in trying, by gender and age, 2025
Learn from men’s grooming market to rethink men’s supplements for emotional health
New gift-giving scenarios to watch: expressions of love among younger couples
Increasing number of younger people observing that their partners are taking health supplements
Graph 50: usage of health supplements – my partner/spouse has used them, by generation, 2025 vs 2024
Health supplements increasingly popular as festival gifts for partners among younger people
Graph 51: preference for festive foods – when gifting to partner/spouse, 2021 vs 2023
Romantic scenarios are a brand-new opportunity
Graph 52: preference for gifting partners/spouses TCM supplements or Western health supplements during specific festivals (TGI analysis), 2024
Associate the lasting sweetness of TCM products with the enduring of love
New definition of romance as mutual support means health supplements can be a modern expression of love
APPENDIX – MARKET SIZE AND FORECAST, RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND ABBREVIATIONS
Market size and forecast
China: best- and worst-case forecast of retail value sales of vitamins, 2020-30
Graph 53: best- and worst-case forecast of retail value sales of vitamins, 2020-30
China: best- and worst-case forecast of retail value sales of minerals, 2020-30
Graph 54: best- and worst-case forecast of retail value sales of minerals, 2020-30
China: best- and worst-case forecast of retail value sales of dietary supplements, 2020-30
Graph 55: best- and worst-case forecast of retail value sales of dietary supplements, 2020-30
The structural changes taking place around people, products and marketplaces will continue to drive the shift in the health supplements industry from a traditional model of long product development cycles to one of shorter cycles driven by consumer demand. When it comes to marketing, brands need to consciously balance demonstrations of efficacy and content marketing. Brands need to actively incubate more specialised segments in order to create new opportunities for growth.
Flora Zhang, Director, Food & Drink Health & Wellness
Market Definitions
The market size data in this Report encompasses both online and offline channels and includes health supplements with either a National Medical Licence or Health Supplement Food certification, as well as standard dietary nutritional supplements such as liquid multivitamins and protein powders. Among the products with a National Medical Licence, only those registered as over the counter (OTC) medicines are included; prescription medicines are excluded.
Market segments include:
vitamins – includes single vitamins (such as vitamins A, B, C, D, E) and vitamin B complex
minerals – such as calcium, iron, zinc, selenium, magnesium
dietary supplements – including animal-based nutritional supplements (such as fish oil) and plant-based nutritional supplements (such as garlic oil and spirulina tablets)
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