Instant Noodles Market Report 2026

The instant noodles market size has grown strongly in recent years. It will grow from $62.52 billion in 2025 to $66.81 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.9%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to growth of urban populations, increasing demand for affordable convenience foods, expansion of retail distribution networks, rising student and working-class consumption, improvements in food packaging technologies.

The instant noodles market size is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $89.52 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.6%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to growing demand for healthier instant noodle options, expansion of premium and functional noodle products, rising online grocery sales, increasing focus on sustainable packaging, innovation in low-oil processing methods. Major trends in the forecast period include expansion of non-fried instant noodle variants, rising demand for convenient ready-to-eat foods, growing popularity of regional flavor profiles, increased focus on shelf-life optimization, adoption of automated noodle processing lines.

The increasing demand for ready-to-eat food products is expected to drive growth in the instant noodles market in the near future. Ready-to-eat (RTE) products are food items that have been cleaned, cooked, and often packaged before consumption. These foods must be cooked to ensure that the internal temperature reaches a minimum threshold for a designated holding time to eliminate microorganisms that pose health risks. RTE foods typically contain raw materials of animal origin, such as eggs, fish, meat, poultry, and ratites. For example, in 2023, the United States Department of Agriculture, a US-based federal agency, reported that the total value of US processed food exports rose to $36.59 billion, reflecting a 1.7% increase compared to previous years. Therefore, the rising demand for ready-to-eat food products is supporting growth in the instant noodles market.

Major players in the instant noodles market are strategically focusing on innovations such as quality improvers to gain a competitive edge. Quality improvers, also recognized as food additives, are substances incorporated into food to enhance attributes such as appearance, flavor, texture, or shelf life. In March 2023, Kemin Industries Inc., a US-based provider of specialty ingredients, launched VALTEQ. This unique line of liquid product solutions addresses common challenges faced by noodle manufacturers, including issues such as sticking, clumping, and oxidation. VALTEQ is a revolutionary product line designed to assist instant noodle manufacturers in producing higher-quality noodles while safeguarding against sticking to production molds.

In June 2024, DayDayCook, a US-based company, acquired Omsom for an undisclosed amount. This acquisition is anticipated to accelerate product innovation at Omsom, cutting the time needed to bring new products from concept to market by half. DayDayCook plans to capitalize on operational synergies across its existing brands, including Nona Lim and Yai’s Thai, to streamline processes and boost profitability. Omsom, a US-based brand, is well known for its cooking sauces and instant noodles.

Major companies operating in the instant noodles market are Nestlé SA, Ajinomoto Co Inc, Nissin Foods Holdings Co Ltd, Hebei Hualong Noodle Group Changchun Food Co Ltd, Indofood Sukses Makmur Tbk PT, Master Kong Chongqing Convenience Food Co Ltd, Acecook Vietnam Joint Stock Company, Nongshim Co Ltd, Mamee Double Decker BHD, Samyang Corporation, Capital Foods Pvt Ltd, Toyo Suisan Kaisha Ltd, Campbell Soup Company, ITC Limited, Unilever plc, Monde Nissin Corporation, Sanyo Foods Co Ltd, Tat Hui Foods Pte Ltd, Ting Hsin International Group, Uni President Enterprises Corp, Jinmailang Foods Co, Baijia Food Group Co.

Asia-Pacific was the largest region in the instant noodles market in 2025. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the instant noodles market report during the forecast period. The regions covered in the instant noodles market report are Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa. The countries covered in the instant noodles market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Italy, Spain, Canada.

The instant noodles market consists of sales of Cup/Bowl noodles, Packet noodles, ramen, udon, soba, and yakisoba. Values in this market are ‘factory gate’ values, that is the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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