Eastern Europe

Analgesics achieved strong double-digit growth in 2023 amidst stable consumer demand and rising unit prices caused by inflation. Systemic analgesics is outperforming topical analgesics in 2023, a trend that has been prevalent throughout the review…

The analgesics market in Bulgaria has reached a mature stage, characterised by steady growth and well-established product offerings. This maturity is evident in the consistent demand for pain relief solutions driven by factors such as an ageing…

Growth of analgesics in 2023 can be mainly attributed to the full recovery of daily activity post pandemic. The main contributors here were the full operation of manual labour intensive industries (predominantly construction), a stronger flu season…

Sales of analgesics return to their pre-pandemic performance in 2023. After the pandemic, seasonal colds and flus circulated more in the country as consumers socialised more without wearing masks, and sales of analgesics have returned to their usual…

Analgesics is expected to register moderate constant value growth in 2023. High inflation is continuing to have an effect and consumers are expected to be highly price sensitive and prioritise value for money. That being said, inflation is easing in…

As consumption patterns continue to stabilise following three years of pandemic-induced disruption, the majority of analgesics categories in Hungary are projected to contract in volume terms in 2023. Rates of decline in most look set to be modest,…

Analgesics continues to witness strong current value growth in 2023 as consumers return to normal lifestyles and are exposed to regular seasonal common colds and viruses. A high proportion of analgesics are used to tackle everyday colds and flu…

Analgesics is failing to record a strong performance in Lithuania in 2023; following the pandemic years, sales are stagnating, reflecting the saturated market and consumer base. In addition, a growing scepticism and concern about the overreliance on…

Analgesics continues to achieve strong value growth in North Macedonia in 2023 as a result of strong consumer demand for systemic analgesics, especially adult ibuprofen, adult acetaminophen and adult aspirin. Topical analgesics are outperforming…

Demand for both adult and paediatric analgesics continued to grow in retail volume terms in 2023. Such products are widely used in Poland, particularly in the case of pain which is fleeting or immediate. With the rapid pace of modern life, consumers…

Despite general economic instability and a rise in prices, the analgesics category in 2023 looks set to achieve a positive performance. However, the current value growth rate is likely to be slower than in the previous year. This can be attributed to…

In 2023, analgesics is set to see strong growth supported by rising prices in the context of generally high rates of inflation. After strong growth in 2020 due to stockpiling and decline in 2021, the category returned to growth in 2022 and has…

Diclofenac and naproxen are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory analgesics used to relieve mild pain. Both categories saw retail current value sales surge in 2022. Retail current value sales are set to continue to grow over 2023 in both categories,…

Analgesics in Slovenia are projected to experience significant growth in current retail value throughout 2023. Both adult and paediatric analgesics are performing well. During the latter part of the review period, the sector benefited from the…

The market witnessed the shortage of some paediatric analgesics towards the end of the review period, causing alarm among parents in the Czech Republic. For example, the shortage of children's fever suppositories (Paralen Sup), which was most…

The briefing introduces the Cities Households Necessities Spending Index. The index ranks 1,075 cities by household expenditure on non-discretionary items, namely food, housing, and clothing and footwear. This analysis focuses on 160 major cities.…

In 2023, consumer health is no longer influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, as everyday life has normalized in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Some categories, such as cough, cold allergy (hay fever) remedies, which were negatively impacted during the…

In 2023, the consumer health market in Bulgaria is set to see steady current value growth, with sales set to continue to fall at constant 2023 prices, though at a slower rate than in the previous year in both cases. Consumer preferences are shifting…

With high inflation as a result of the war in Ukraine, as well as the aftermath of COVID-19, prices have risen sharply, driving value sales growth in consumer health in Croatia. Volume sales, meanwhile, are beginning to return to their pre-pandemic…

Many OTC categories in Estonia, including cough and cold, experienced strong decline during COVID-19; however, sales are returning to their pre-pandemic performance in 2023 as viral illness are circulating more following the lifting of pandemic…

Consumer health is expected to register moderate constant value growth in 2023. Continuing economic uncertainty as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and high inflation is continuing to have an effect and consumers are expected to be highly…

While consumer health in Hungary is set to post robust growth in total current value sales in 2023, this is primarily due to inflationary pressures fuelled by the global recovery from the pandemic, the fallout of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the…

Consumer health in Latvia continues to recover from the pandemic in 2023, with major categories seeing demand patterns rebalance as lifestyles shift back normality. Economic uncertainty is prevailing with inflation remaining high in 2023, a trend…

2023 marks the final year that the outbreak of COVID-19 impacts results. Product areas that gained sales due to the COVID-19 pandemic are returning to purchasing levels and behaviours seen before 2020. Similarly, those negatively impacted by the…

Despite higher standards of living in North Macedonia, economic challenges resulting in low disposable incomes remain, with the situation further exacerbated by the ongoing war in Ukraine. This has led to double-digit inflation, which is increasing…

The consumer health industry in Poland registered a decline in constant value terms in 2023, following the static performance of the previous year. This was against a backdrop of rising inflation, exacerbated by the conflict in neighbouring Ukraine,…

Despite ongoing economic instability and the high rate of inflation, the consumer health market in Romania is witnessing steady growth in 2023. Notably, it is the categories of vitamin and dietary supplements, cough, cold and allergy (hay fever)…

The second half of 2022 and the first half of 2023 saw declining demand for many areas of OTC healthcare. This was linked to high inflation and the related decline in disposable incomes. Consumers have turned away from buying non-essential products…

Consumer health in Slovakia is affected by changes in purchasing behaviour as a result of the fading Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the effects of the war in Ukraine and a cost of living crisis amid high inflation. However, the issue of high…

Due to the war in Ukraine, increasing energy and production costs, and the ongoing impact of COVID-19, prices have inflated significantly in Slovenia. This has been the primary reason for high current retail value growth in 2023. Levels of retail…

In 2022, consumer health in the Czech Republic was challenged by medicine shortages, which, to some degree, continued in Q1 2023. The lack of some medicines in the Czech Republic and throughout Europe was caused by the disruption of global supply…

Cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) continues to rebound following the declines during the COVID-19 pandemic and the slow recovery in its aftermath. Unit prices have been driven up by inflation resulting in double-digit current value growth in 2023,…

Price sensitivity among Bulgarian consumers is a key factor influencing their purchasing decisions when it comes to cough, cold, and allergy (hay fever) remedies. As the minimum wage in Bulgaria is just under EUR400 in 2023, a significant portion of…

During the last couple of years, the flu season was virtually non-existent as a result of Croatians staying at home and, when venturing out in public, wearing face masks, maintaining social distance and frequently washing their hands. This…

Whilst the category continues to record growth in 2023, the particularly high growth level seen in the previous year could not be maintained. 2022 was a strong year for the category as consumers returned to their pre-pandemic lifestyles following the…

Analgesics is expected to register moderate constant value growth in 2023. Though there was widespread severe flu in early 2023, cough and cold remedies are not expected to benefit to a huge degree, as most of these patients were hospitalised or put…

Most cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies categories in Hungary are set to expand in volume terms in 2023 or record slower rates of decline than in 2022. Similar to the case with analgesics, the need for these products has been bolstered by…

Cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies in Latvia is registering moderate growth in 2023 as the category begins to stabilise post-pandemic. Retail value sales rebounded strongly 2022 after two years of decline, with lifestyles shifting back to…

2023 marks the year when the cough and cold landscape is set to lose its uplift due to COVID-19, returning to a level closer to that seen pre-pandemic. Sales have continued to benefit from harsh seasonal colds and the flu season of 2022-2023.…

Cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies is seeing slower growth in 2023 due to a shorter cold season caused by milder winter 2022/2023. The exception is antihistamines, which continues to grow at a solid rate due to high consumer demand amidst…

The majority of subcategories within cough, cold and allergy remedies recorded positive growth in retail volume terms in 2023. This was due, in a large part, to a return pre-pandemic lifestyles, which facilitated the spread of the influenza virus and…

Following the return to normality in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, with no more lockdowns or movement restrictions, there has been an increase in the spread of cold and flu viruses, as well as a widespread rise in issues caused by hay fever and…

Although the threat from COVID-19 is largely perceived to have past, many consumers continue to worry about how people will react if they sneeze or cough in public. Volume growth of cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies is helping to drive the…

In Slovakia, cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies was characterised by very strong increases in retail volume sales of OTC remedies for sore throats, coughs and colds. The high demand was the result of extremely high morbidity throughout the…

During the past few years, Slovenia has experienced a virtually non-existent flu season due to the outbreak of COVID-19. This led to individuals opting to stay at home and, when going out in public, adhering to practices like wearing face masks,…

In 2022, cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies was marked by increases in demand for products to soothe sore throat and cough complaints. This development was a result of extremely high morbidity throughout the year. In the first half of 2022,…

Dermatologicals continues to achieve strong growth in 2023 driven by health and wellness trends and premiumisation in some product categories. Rising unit prices in response to inflation, which has impacted the entire consumer health category, has…

The sedentary lifestyles that are prevalent in Bulgaria significantly impact the market for dermatological products. A lack of physical activity often goes hand in hand with prolonged periods of sitting indoors, which can lead to reduced exposure to…

Rising consumer demand for medicated skin care products continues to boost sales of dermatologicals in 2023. The desire for well-groomed and healthy skin is extending from beauty and personal care into dermatological products, although products in…

Sales of dermatologicals have benefited from the return to normal activities following the lifting of pandemic-related restrictions. Consumers are out in public again and socialising and are consequently looking to treat any conditions to ensure thy…