Consumer Health

Uganda’s economy saw real GDP growth of 5% in 2023 and this provided a boost to sales of some consumer health products. Self-medication is driving growth in consumer health in Uganda as consumers are finding it easier and cheaper to purchase…

Consumer health in Brazil is expected to close 2023 with double-digit growth in current value terms for the third consecutive year. While in previous years, the COVID-19 pandemic boosted demand for cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies, as…

The depreciation of the local currency made imports more expensive at the end of the review period. This had a significant impact on the supply of and demand for imported products, in a country where the majority of medication is imported.…

Consumer health is expected to register healthy current value growth in 2023, although constant value growth is expected to grow only marginally. Kenyans are moving away from seeking healthcare services at hospitals and are keen to self-medicate,…

A high rate of inflation, averaging 30% in 2023, forced consumers to cut down on spending on non-essential items, and even to reconsider the food they purchased to reduce their expenditure. Rx medications continued to be widely purchased under the…

The market for consumer health products in Thailand continued to enjoy healthy growth in current value terms in 2023. This was driven, to a large extent, by the revival of normal pre-pandemic patterns of behaviour, including the return of consumers…

Cameroon was not as affected by the energy crisis stemming from the war in Ukraine as many other countries. Rising global energy prices gave a boost to government coffers and helped stabilise the economy. However, ongoing civil conflict, as well as…

The harsh economic environment continued in 2023, challenging retail value sales in Nigeria and bolstering the use of counterfeit options in consumer health. However, barriers to healthcare increased the self-medication trend, driving the sale of OTC…

With the threat of the pandemic leaving people’s minds in 2023, growth in consumer health in Singapore is set to stabilise, due to the gradual normalisation of consumers’ lives. With the majority of the population vaccinated, and COVID-19 likened to…

Economic instability, characterised by very high inflation, continues to restrain retail volume sales at the end of the review period. The Turkish economy is taking longer than many other countries to recover from the economic effects of Coronavirus…

Consumer health in Tunisia is facing a complex landscape characterised by several factors in 2023. Firstly, the global economic crisis has had a significant impact on the demand for consumer health products. With the cost of living rising sharply due…

The Swedish market consumer health saw healthy growth in retail current value terms in 2023, continuing the trend of the previous year. However, this was driven mainly by inflationary pressures, rather than any real upturn in demand. While the rate…

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…

Consumer health in Honduras experienced a year of growth in value terms in 2023 that was in line with the country's inflation. Categories such as analgesics, cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies, dermatologicals, and sports nutrition…

Consumer health has seen demand dampened by consumers being confronted with very high inflation. The rate of 9.2% in 2022 was the highest experienced in decades. As a result, more consumers have been forced to prioritise household spending on…

In 2023, Tanzania faces high inflation and living costs, causing consumers to favour lower-priced generic medications over pricey international brands. Essential categories, such as analgesics, cough, cold, allergy remedies, and digestive remedies,…

Retail volume sales of some consumer health products in 2023 are declining following a surge in demand the previous year when pandemic-related restrictions in April 2022 resulted in Spaniards returning to some extent to their pre-pandemic lives. This…

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,…

2023 saw a repeat of the moderate, sustainable growth that was registered in most categories of consumer health during 2022, with the prevailing background trends characterised by a return to some semblance of pre-pandemic normality in the daily…

Ecuador is expected to register only a slight increase in current value sales in 2023. Ecuador is grappling with rising crime rates and political instability, with runoff elections scheduled in October. This is all leading to economic uncertainty and…

In 2023, still relatively high inflation continues to impact prices of essentials, such as groceries, as well as consumer health products, including OTC remedies, vitamins and dietary supplements and sports nutrition. However, consumer demand remains…

Consumer health in Belgium continues to see steady growth in current value terms in 2023, albeit at a slightly slower pace than in the previous year. Among the most dynamic categories are analgesics, sleep aids (driven by high stress levels among the…

In Bangladesh, consumer health faces the challenge of inflation across various categories in 2023. Meanwhile, consumer preferences are shifting towards modern medicine due to its perceived quick effectiveness, leading to a decline in demand for…

In 2023, consumer health products in Jordan are witnessing notable changes driven by a combination of factors. The industry has experienced a decline from its peaks in 2020 and 2021 when Jordanians rushed to purchase OTC products like analgesics and…

Post-pandemic 2023 saw lifted restrictions lead to the return of tourists to Hong Kong and a rebound in tourism consumption, particularly for OTC products. Mainland Chinese tourists, who were once a key consumer group for these products, began to…

Sales of OTC products in Japan continue on the path to recovery in 2023 as the country sees an end to the pandemic. With the World Health Organisation (WHO) declaring the pandemic to be over in early 2023 there have been increased opportunities to go…

Consumer health in Azerbaijan is seeing something of a resurgence in 2023. New entrants are livening up the marketplace, and fresh medications are making their mark. The once-stringent Tariff Regulatory Authority has taken a step back, loosening the…

In 2023, Cambodia seems to have recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, consumer health demand is rising due to modernisation, urbanisation, and health risks from harmful chemicals. Nonetheless, challenges still exist, such as external…

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 socioeconomic crisis remained a drag on growth in consumer health in 2023. High inflation, currency depreciation and restricted access to foreign currency are affecting the entire economy. Political instability has made the situation worse as…

In 2023, urbanisation, population growth and health and wellness drove retail sales. Most consumers self-medicated as the cheaper option and due to limited access to doctors outside of key cities. An overburdened public health sector and expensive…

Consumer health witnessed a solid performance in 2023, with current value growth gaining momentum for the fourth consecutive year. Overall there has been little change in the price of OTC products, despite the slightly higher inflation rate in 2023,…

Consumer health in Taiwan has performed positively on the whole in 2023, with growth in total current value sales remaining robust and most categories either expanding in volume terms or contracting at a slower pace than in 2022. The easing of the…

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, Malaysian consumers have been increasingly focused on preventative health measures, and this trend continued into 2023. Alongside the adoption of healthier diets and exercise behaviours, consumers sought out vitamins…

Consumer health in 2023 is exhibiting solid current value growth as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic diminishes. With the resurgence of seasonal ailments, categories such as cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies and analgesics are…

Consumer health shows variable recovery in 2023, with an ongoing return to the normalisation of sales patterns following the atypical period of the pandemic. Challenges, however, continue, such as the departure of President Castillo's government, in…

Consumers are increasingly adopting a preventative approach to maintaining good health, which continues to drive interest in vitamins and dietary supplements in 2023. Established brands continue to dominate sales as brand loyalty is relatively high…

Overall consumer health is set to maintain growth in current value terms in 2023, although this is expected to be slower than in the previous three years. The pandemic has ceased to have a notable impact in Indonesia, and there are many categories…

Overall, consumer health in Portugal is set to record strong growth in retail volume and current value terms in 2023. Demand has remained robust, as local consumers remain health-conscious and are becoming increasingly knowledgeable about the…

During 2023, Argentina was plunged into an economic crisis, with the rate of inflation soaring to more than 100%, one of the highest in the world. With the country already struggling to comply with the conditions of a loan package from the…

Rising health awareness amongst consumers in India is set to lead to double-digit current value growth in consumer health in 2023. In the wake of the pandemic, people have undergone a transformative shift in their priorities, emphasising health and…

Pakistan’s economy continues to struggle and the government secured a further USD3 billion bailout with the IMF in July 2023, avoiding an impending default. Inflation continues to be very high and is being driven by several factors, including…

Consumer health registered strong sales growth in Qatar in 2023 thanks to strong purchasing power and rising interest in leading healthy lifestyles. The country’s high obesity rate has combined with the sharpened focus on health and wellbeing that…

Consumer health sales grew moderately in 2023 as consumers prioritised their spending on essential goods over preventive health. As a result, vitamins and dietary supplements and weight management and wellbeing were the most affected. However, sports…

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…

With the ending of lockdowns, border closures, and other COVID-19-related restrictions over the course of 2022, Australia has begun to see a return to normality in 2023, with Australians settling into their new hybrid routines and lifestyles.…

Consumer health in Finland is seeing moderate current value growth in 2023. On one hand, prices have increased due to inflation, but, at the same time, the poor economic outlook has made consumers cautious in their purchases. Overall, the OTC segment…

Consumer health in France continues to experience growth in 2023. Due to the pandemic, consumers’ immune systems have been negatively impacted. The French healthcare system remains weak and 2022 and 2023 have faced multiple challenges, including a…

The overall picture is expected to be positive in consumer healthy in 2023, as the economy performs well. The increase in natural gas export prices has helped offset the dip in oil prices. However, inflation remains high and the currency has devalued…

Consumer health in Germany was recording moderate current value growth in 2023. While OTC was performing better than vitamins and dietary supplements, it was being outperformed by categories such as sports nutrition and weight management and…