China Purchasing Food and Drink for Children Consumer Report 2025
2025-05-21T12:03:02+00:00
REP1994B8F2_8C23_4CC6_8914_41F4AC863712
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Report
en_GB
This report looks at the following areas: Children's diet: overview and trends Unhealthy eating behaviours in children and parental concerns Parents' preferences for and attitudes towards purchasing food and drinks…
China
Food and Drink Retail
simple
China Purchasing Food and Drink for Children Consumer Report 2025
This report looks at the following areas:
Children's diet: overview and trends
Unhealthy eating behaviours in children and parental concerns
Parents' preferences for and attitudes towards purchasing food and drinks for their children
The influence of different types of parenting key opinion leaders (KOLs) on shopping decisions
Food and drink products with attractive features and premiumisation potential
The children's food and drink market in China is bursting with vitality.
Market factors, demand insights and future opportunities
Market overview
Market factors
Declining birth rates spur refined competition
Graph 1: births and birth rate, 2014-24
Three times as many children as infants – for now
Graph 2: number and percentage of population aged 0-4*, 2013-23
Graph 3: number and percentage of population aged 5-14*, 2013-23
Households with children have seen a stronger recovery in financial confidence
Graph 4: confidence in financial situation improving in the next three months – very confident/somewhat confident (aggregate), by age of children, 2023-25
Willingness to trade up in the children’s food/nutrition category is higher, and NPD tilts towards the market for children aged 5-12
Graph 5: plans to purchase more expensive baby and children’s products in the future, by age of child, 2025
Graph 6: share of new food, drink, health and hygiene products with ‘for babies and toddlers’ and ‘for children’ claims, 2020-25
Children’s health supplements deliver outstanding performance; meals and seasonings show promise
Graph 7: sales of categories related to food and drink and health supplements on Taobao/Tmall, overall vs products with ‘suitable for children’ claims, 2024
Standardisation of children’s food and drink continues apace, ushering in a new regulatory environment
As the population of overweight/obese children expects to grow, weight management becomes the new focus
Graph 8: overweight and obesity rates among children (5-14), 1990-2050 (fore)
Graph 9: number of children aged 5-19 (in tens of thousands) with high BMI, 2020-35 (fore)
‘Scientific parenting’ driving increased demand for specialised children’s nutrition
Graph 10: social media mentions of ‘scientific parenting’, 2023-24
Holistic development enters the mainstream, bringing greater focus on ‘refinement’ and a ‘sense of ritual’
Graph 11: parenting attitudes and behaviours, 2024
Look beyond fitness to explore the potential of food in raising well-rounded children
Graph 12: concerns over children’s behaviour, 2024
New product trends
Innovation shifts towards category diversification
Graph 13: proportion* of new products in the major food and drink segments with ‘for children (5-12)’ claims, 2020-25
China tops multiple categories in the children’s segment; nutritional drinks and juices hold future potential
Graph 14: proportion of new products in the major food and drink segments with ‘for children (5-12)’ claims, by country, 2024-25
Fortified nutrient and functional claims are rebounding, with ‘minus’ claims showing a long-term growth trend
Graph 15: proportions of claim categories in new food and drink products with ‘for children (5-12)’ claims, 2020-25
Prebiotics are gaining traction; ‘energy boost’ claims are worth attention
Graph 16: proportion of functional claims in new food and drink products with ‘for children (5-12)’ claims, 2020-25
‘Low transfat’ claims are increasing rapidly; ‘light’ flavours are on the menu
Graph 17: noteworthy ‘minus’ and ‘natural’ claims in food and drink with ‘for children (5-12)’ claims, 2020-25
Seasonal flavours have been underrated; marketing that appeals to children is undergoing a resurgence
Graph 18: noteworthy positioning claims in food and drink products with ‘for children (5-12)’ claims, 2020-25
The consumer
‘Smart parenting’: responding to more specific consumption occasions and children’s developmental needs
New explorations in parenting with science
Parental priorities: ingredients, word of mouth, positioning
Graph 19: key considerations in purchasing food and drink for children, 2024
‘Age-appropriate’ concepts hold strong appeal, after only taste and health
Graph 20: features of attractive children’s food and drink products – with key options related to product positioning, % of consumers, 2025
Condiments and Chinese meals are the key to the young family segment
Graph 21: penetration of children-specific products, by youngest child’s age, 2024
Graph 22: proportion* of new products in key food and drink categories with ‘for children (5-12)’ claims, 2024-25
Condiments: health and nutrition trump flavour
Graph 23: demand for condiments, by age of children in household, 2024
Health themes and professional content are expected; ‘scientific parenting’ is popular with educated families
Graph 24: purchase decision influencers – with key options related to parenting KOLs, by parental education level, 2025
Segmented products for exercise and learning can attract highly educated parents
Graph 25: key attractive product features – with options related to product positioning, by parents’ educational background, 2025
Highly educated parents favour educational attributes; scientific elements can boost product competitiveness
Graph 26: attitudes towards teaching children scientific knowledge related to nutrition and health, by parental educational level, 2024
Education = marketing? Combine product features and educational value with educational promotion
Use AI to find inspiration on how to incorporate segmented educational elements into product design
Drive children’s mental development in daily life
‘Lightening the load’: focus on expectations for low-fat, low-carb diets
New solutions for balanced, lighter diets
Child weight management is a new focus for parents
Graph 27: parents’ health concerns, 2024 vs 2025
Strong flavours and takeout/dining out are popular for older children
Graph 28: key unhealthy dietary habits in children, by age of youngest child, 2024 vs 2025
Graph 29: unhealthy dietary habits in children, 2024 vs 2025
Diet management in two steps: first intervene and restrict, then get into the kitchen
Graph 30: key children’s diet management behaviours, by age of youngest child, 2025
Older children are eating meat and seafood more frequently
Graph 31: overview of children’s daily consumption of seafood (b) – once a day or more, by age of youngest child, 2022 vs 2025
Graph 32: overview of children’s daily consumption of red meat (a) – once a day or more, by age of youngest child, 2022 vs 2025
Plain, low-fat children’s meat products make their diets healthier and lighter
Probiotics: an important nutritional supplement for older children
Graph 33: areas of interest in nutrient supplements, by age of youngest child in household, 2025
Parents of older children seek ‘probiotics+’ composite solutions
Graph 34: selected health perceptions of probiotics, by child’s age, 2025
Introduce ingredients from other fields to upgrade the slimming effect of children’s probiotic products
‘Fun with food’: respond to the need for parent-child joy
Fun, growing and interactive new connections
From ‘filling up’ to ‘experiences’: snacks can bring fun and inspiration into parent-child interactions
Graph 35: key reasons for selecting packaged snacks during parent-child leisure scenarios at home, by age of children in household, 2025
Seeking ‘play’: parents of young children are eager to gain inspiration for fun family interactions
Graph 36: purchase decision influencers – selected options related to parenting KOLs, by age of youngest child, 2025
Unhealthy eating behaviours in children and parental concerns
Parents’ preferences for and attitudes towards purchasing food and drinks for their children
The influence of different types of parenting key opinion leaders (KOLs) on shopping decisions
Food and drink products with attractive features and premiumisation potential
The children’s food and drink market in China is bursting with vitality. An ever-richer range of segments and categories provides more possibilities for brands to expand into new areas. To enter this field, brands need to understand parents’ desire to practice ‘precision parenting’ and provide new scientifically balanced dietary solutions for children.
Gloria Gan, Senior Analyst, China Insights
Market Definitions
This report covers all packaged food and drink products designed for children aged 4-12, defined based on product claims, presentation and format. Typical product categories include staples (children’s noodles, children’s steaks, etc), snacks (children’s confectionery, biscuits, crackers and cookies, etc), dairy products and non-alcoholic drinks (milk, yogurt, juice, bottled water or any drinks designed for children).
The consumer survey conducted by Mintel covers parents aged 20-49 with children aged 4-12. Mintel’s GNPD defines children as those aged 5-12. GNPD analyses included in this Report are based on children aged 5-12.
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