Japan Baby Food - Market Assessment and Forecasts to 2029

The number of live births in Japan declined by 23.1% during 2017-23, reaching 727,277 in 2023. This resulted in a baby population of 2.3 million in 2023. The GDP of Japan grew by 1.9% in 2023, while consumer price inflation stood at 2.6%. Overall sales in value terms declined in recent years with the sector registering a negative CAGR of 1% during 2017-23. In volume terms, sales decreased in 2023 registering a negative CAGR of 1.8% during 2017-23. Baby milks remained the largest category in value terms with over 55% of the baby food sector, followed by baby wet meals & others. Asahi Group Holdings and Meiji Holdings were the top two companies in 2023. Hypermarkets & supermarkets remained the leading distribution channel, accounting for over 45% of overall value sales in 2023. The analyst estimates that the number of live births will decrease over the forecast period in Japan. The market for baby food in the country is expected to decrease in value terms during 2023-29, registering a negative CAGR of 1.5%.

Key Highlights

• Value sales of baby milks grew from JPY62.9 billion ($561 million) in 2017 to JPY55.9 billion ($398.8 million) in 2023, registering a negative CAGR of 2% during this period.
• Volumes of baby cereals & dry meals increased from 0.47 million kg in 2017 to 0.49 million kg in 2023, at a CAGR of 0.6%.
• Value sales of the baby wet meals & others category rose from JPY22.5 billion ($201 million) in 2017 to JPY24.1 billion ($171.8 million) in 2023, at a CAGR of 1.1%.
• During 2017-23, per capita consumption of baby finger food increased by 13.9%.
• During 2017-23, per capita consumption of baby drinks increased by 8.2%.

Scope

This report brings together multiple data sources to provide a comprehensive overview of the baby food sector in Japan, as part of the analyst’s global coverage of the sector. It includes an analysis of the following:

• Market environment: The report provides a comparative analysis of the value and volume shares of Japan against the Asia-Pacific and global baby food sectors. Additionally, the per capita consumption (PCC)* of and per capita expenditure (PCE)* on baby food in Japan are compared at regional and global levels.
• Background: Provides an overview of births, consumer trends, sociodemographic trends, working women population, and regulations in the Japanese baby food sector.
• Category coverage and competitive landscape: The report offers an overview of growth at a sector level and provides an analysis of five categories: baby milks, baby cereals & dry meals, baby wet meals & others, baby finger food, and baby drinks. These categories are analyzed by value, volume, and CAGR for the 2017-29 period. The analysis also includes the PCC of and PCE on baby food in Japan, by category. The report provides an analysis of leading manufacturers and brands in the Japanese baby food sector in 2023 and their market shares in each category.
• Production and trade: The report provides an analysis of imports and exports in the Japanese baby food sector.
• Distribution channel: Provides analysis on the leading distribution channels at both sector and category level in 2023.
• Economic background: The report also provides an outlook on macroeconomic indicators in Japan, with a detailed summary of the economy and labor market.

Reasons to Buy

• Evaluate important changes in consumer behavior and identify profitable markets and areas for product innovation.
• Analyse current and forecast behavior trends in each category to identify the best opportunities to exploit.
• Detailed understanding of consumption by individual product categories in order to align your sales and marketing efforts with the latest trends in the market.
• Investigates which categories are performing the best and how this is changing market dynamics.