Consumer demands are evolving and differentiating. Brands must gain an in-depth understanding of their target audience and attract their attention by offering excellent value for money, high quality taste experiences and a balanced range of nutrients.
Vera Zheng, Senior Analyst, China Insights
Market Definitions
This Report explores consumer perceptions of and interest in instant foods, alongside purchasing behaviours.
Market size consists of value sales from various retail channels, including direct sales, of barcoded instant noodles and self-heating food products:
- Instant noodles: includes noodles made by soaking in hot water, noodles cooked in a pan, dry noodles, instant rice noodles/rice vermicelli/glass noodles and similar foods
- Self-heating food: includes self-heating hotpot, self-heating rice and similar foods
The What consumers want and why and What’s next? sections cover instant noodles and self-heating foods as defined above alongside instant congee, instant soup, microwaveable instant meals and other instant foods
The following categories are excluded from the scope of this Report:
- Ready meals, including ready meals and frozen rice and noodle products
Definitions of terms mentioned in this Report:
High-income families: nuclear families or multi-generation families with a monthly household income of over RMB24,000.
Frequent consumers: consumers who eat instant foods once or more per week.
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Executive summary
- Key topics in this Report
- Definitions
- What you need to know
- Key market indicators
- Market factors
- Brands: performance and perceptions
- Consumption trends and future opportunities
- What we think
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The market
- Market size and forecast
- Innovation drives the instant noodle market to a slight rebound
- The self-heating food market continues to cool, as top brands dial down online presence
- Graph 1: self-heating foods’ share of online* instant food value sales, by brand, 2022-25
- Graph 2: retail value sales and year-on-year growth in the self-heating food market, 2023-25 (est)
- Market factors
- Consumers are eating out less to control outgoings in uncertain times
- Graph 3: spending reductions in listed categories, 2025
- Graph 4: factors influencing confidence, 2023 vs 2024
- The government is actively promoting nutritional diets to boost public health
- Brands are investing in production lines and making instant foods healthier
- China: a hotbed of innovation in instant foods
- Graph 5: share of new food item launches, by product type, 2020-25
- Graph 6: changes in share of instant food launches*, by country, 2024 vs 2025
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Companies and brands
- Performance of leading brands
- Jinmailang achieves the strongest online growth
- Graph 7: online* performance of leading instant noodle companies, by manufacturer, 2025
- Baixiang continues to drive innovation as Master Kong picks up the pace
- Graph 8: share of instant food* launches, by manufacturer, 2024 vs 2025
- Master Kong’s new product strategy: a focus on segmented markets
- Baixiang’s focus on health brings vibrancy and style
- Consumer brand perceptions
- Master Kong dominates in safety and flavour, while Baixiang seizes the initiative in health
- Graph 9: brand perceptions, by manufacturer, 2025
- Consumers perceive Master Kong and Uni-President similarly
- Consumers aged 18-24 prefer Baixiang, appreciate the taste of Master Kong
- Graph 10: brand perceptions – consumers aged 18-24, by manufacturer, 2025
- High-income families prefer Master Kong, viewing it as a trendsetter
- Graph 11: brand perceptions – high-income families, by manufacturer, 2025
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WHAT CONSUMERS WANT AND WHY
- Less fat, faster preparation: the keys to attracting younger consumers
- Recognise the influence of instant foods among the 18-24 age group
- Graph 12: changes in instant food penetration, by age, 2024 vs 2025
- Graph 13: frequency of instant food consumption, by age, 2025
- Offer 18-24s better value for money
- Graph 14: consumer attitudes, by age, 2024
- Graph 15: reasons for eating instant foods, 18-24s (N=370) vs consumers overall, 2025
- Attract 18-24s with fast preparation times
- Graph 16: changes in consumption – eating more, by demographic, 2025
- Graph 17: value perception of instant foods – selected options, by age, 2024
- Younger consumers are eating more dry noodles and microwaveable instant rice/noodles
- Graph 18: instant foods – once a week or more, 18-24ss, 2024 vs 2025
- New microwaveable foods enter the Chinese market
- Graph 19: new product claims, instant foods*, 2020-25
- Examples of microwaveable instant foods
- Consumers are worried about their weight; reduced-fat products offer greater ‘health value’
- Graph 20: barriers to instant noodle/rice noodle consumption, 18-24s, 2025
- Graph 21: concerns – personal appearance, by age, 2025
- Add low GI certification to low/no/reduced fat claims
- Graph 22: proportion of instant noodle launches with ‘non-fried’ claims, 2020-25
- Graph 23: new product claims, instant foods*, 2020-25
- Craft a high-quality taste experience: tailor foods to specific occasions, recreate famous dishes and explore local specialities
- Instant noodles and instant rice are most attractive to high-income families
- Graph 24: frequency of instant food consumption – once a week or more, 2025
- Harness high-income families’ love of the outdoors and eagerness for new flavours
- Graph 25: motivations for eating instant foods – high-income families (N=386) vs consumers overall, 2025
- Make instant foods more compatible with other outdoor meals
- Graph 26: local tourism resources of interest – spaces for outdoor activities, by demographic and travel motivation, 2024
- Graph 27: sports participation over the last three months, by location, 2020-24
- Recreate iconic dishes and classic flavours to open up new opportunities for innovation
- Graph 28: interest in flavours, high-income families (N=368) vs consumers overall, 2024
- Examples of collaborations between instant foods and well-known foodservice brands in the Japanese market
- Enhance perceived value with better ingredients
- Graph 29: value perception in instant foods, by demographic, 2024
- Attract high-income families with unique regional ingredients
- Graph 30: cuisine perceptions, consumers overall vs high-income families with child(ren), 2025
- Offer consumers new flavours with a hint of the familiar
- Graph 31: interest in trying different regional cuisines – high-income families, 2025
- Bring vegetables to the fore, explore the many uses of yams
- Health concerns are primary barrier to eating instant noodles
- Graph 32: barriers to instant noodle/rice noodle consumption, 2025
- Graph 33: ranking of factors influencing perceptions of instant noodles, 2017 vs 2021
- Highlight nutritional value with a focus on vegetable ingredient sachets
- Graph 34: nutritional characteristics of instant foods, 2025
- Combine multiple nutrients to meet consumer demand
- Graph 35: nutritional characteristics – cross analysis, 2025
- Incorporating additional vitamins/minerals helps brands reach more consumers
- Nutrition claims are diversifying; fortification deserves attention
- Graph 36: new product claims, instant foods*, 2020-25
- New instant food products in the Japanese market combine nutrition and taste
- Vegetable noodles are the most popular; yam noodles have the most potential
- Graph 37: healthy instant noodle blocks, 2025
- Yam noodles are popular with parents and can be used in instant foods for children
- Graph 38: healthy instant noodle blocks, by family structure, 2025
- Online, the number of instant foods containing yam continues to rise
- Graph 39: online* value sales of yam-related instant foods** and year-on-year comparison, 2024-25
- Yam is also playing an increasing role in instant food product development
- Graph 40: proportion of new instant foods* containing yam, by country, 2025
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What’s next?
- Directions for future development
- Concept product examples
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Appendix – market size and forecast, research methodology and abbreviations
- Market size and forecast – instant noodles
- Methodology: consumer survey
- TURF analysis methodology
- Methodology: correspondence analysis
- Abbreviations
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