PUBLISHER: The Business Research Company | PRODUCT CODE: 1949864
PUBLISHER: The Business Research Company | PRODUCT CODE: 1949864
Breast milk substitutes consist of commercially produced formulas crafted to deliver key nutrients to infants who aren't breastfed, whether partially or fully. These products encompass infant formulas derived from cow's milk, soy, or hydrolyzed proteins, enhanced with vitamins, minerals, and vital fatty acids to promote healthy growth and development. They act as a viable option when breastfeeding isn't feasible for medical, personal, or practical reasons.
The primary breast milk substitute products include ready-to-use, powdered, and concentrated liquid varieties. Ready-to-use breast milk substitutes arrive in a pre-mixed liquid form that requires no preparation or dilution. They provide various options, such as milk-based formula, soy-based formula, hypoallergenic formula, and others, and serve infants under 6 months and those aged 6-23 months. Distribution occurs via supermarkets or hypermarkets, pharmacies, and online retail, with end users including hospitals and clinics, specialty clinics, and others.
Tariffs have affected the breast milk substitutes market by increasing the cost of imported dairy proteins, nutritional additives, and formulation ingredients used in infant formula production. These impacts have been most pronounced in powdered and hypoallergenic formula segments, particularly in north america and europe where ingredient sourcing is globally diversified. Asia-pacific manufacturers have faced pricing pressure due to trade dependencies. However, tariffs have encouraged domestic manufacturing of infant nutrition products, supporting supply security and localized production.
The breast milk substitutes market research report is one of a series of new reports from The Business Research Company that provides breast milk substitutes market statistics, including breast milk substitutes industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with a breast milk substitutes market share, detailed breast milk substitutes market segments, market trends and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the breast milk substitutes industry. This breast milk substitutes market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenario of the industry.
The breast milk substitutes market size has grown strongly in recent years. It will grow from $17.55 billion in 2025 to $19.03 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.4%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to decline in breastfeeding rates in urban areas, rising working women population, increasing awareness of infant nutrition, expansion of retail infant care products, growth in pediatric healthcare access.
The breast milk substitutes market size is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $26.14 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.3%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to rising infant population in developing regions, increasing demand for premium infant formulas, expansion of e-commerce distribution channels, innovation in nutritional formulations, growing awareness of infant food safety. Major trends in the forecast period include rising demand for infant nutrition alternatives, increasing adoption of hypoallergenic formulations, growing preference for fortified and organic formulas, expansion of ready-to-use infant nutrition products, increasing focus on infant digestive health.
The increasing participation of women in the workforce is anticipated to boost the breast milk substitutes market in the future. Female workforce participation measures the share of women who are either employed or actively looking for jobs in the labor market. This trend is rising mainly because of better access to education, which provides women with necessary skills and credentials, opening up more job prospects and financial autonomy. Breast milk substitutes serve working women by offering a practical and nutritionally complete alternative for feeding infants when mothers can't breastfeed due to tight schedules, workplace challenges, or insufficient maternity support-allowing babies to get vital nutrients as parents uphold their careers. For instance, in February 2025, the House of Commons, a UK government entity, reported that 16.37 million women aged 16 and older held jobs in the UK from October to December 2024. Thus, the growing female workforce participation is fueling expansion in the breast milk substitutes market.
Major companies in the breast milk substitutes market are prioritizing scientific advancements, like formulations enriched with Human Milk Oligosaccharides (HMOs), to better mimic the functional advantages of natural breast milk and promote immune, gut, and cognitive development in infants. HMO-enriched formulations include bioactive oligosaccharides, which rank as the third most abundant solid component in human breast milk, helping to boost immunity, foster healthy gut microbiota, and aid early cognitive development. For example, in November 2023, Nestle, a Switzerland-based nutrition science firm, introduced a new growing-up milk under the Wyeth illuma brand in mainland China, featuring two key HMOs: 2-Fucosyllactose (2FL) and Lacto-N-(neo)tetraose (LNnT). Produced at its Suzhou facility, the product combines HMOs with vital proteins and lipids to improve gut health, immune function, and cognitive results, after receiving recent approval from China's National Health Commission for HMOs in infant nutrition.
In July 2023, Bobbie Baby Inc., a US-based infant formula company, acquired Nature's One LLC for an undisclosed sum. This strategic acquisition enables Bobbie to boost its growth potential while improving domestic manufacturing capabilities and fortifying a more dependable supply chain. Nature's One LLC is a US-based provider of breast milk substitutes.
Major companies operating in the breast milk substitutes market are Nestle S.A., Mead Johnson Nutrition Company LLC, BASF SE, Abbott Laboratories, Danone S.A., The Kraft Heinz Company, Koninklijke FrieslandCampina N.V. (FrieslandCampina), Arla Foods Amba, Reckitt Benckiser Group plc, Fonterra Co-operative Group Limited, Perrigo Company plc, The Hain Celestial Group Inc., Hero Group AG, HiPP GmbH & Co. Vertrieb KG, Beingmate Baby & Child Food Co. Ltd., Bellamy's Organic Pty Ltd., Vitagermine SAS, Kendal Nutricare Ltd. (Kendamil), Cow & Gate, Humana Inc.
North America was the largest region in the breast milk substitutes market in 2025. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in the breast milk substitutes market report are Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa.
The countries covered in the breast milk substitutes market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.
The breast milk substitutes market consists of sales of infant formulas, follow-on formulas, lactose-free formulas, and organic formulas. 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.
Breast Milk Substitutes Market Global Report 2026 from The Business Research Company provides strategists, marketers and senior management with the critical information they need to assess the market.
This report focuses breast milk substitutes market which is experiencing strong growth. The report gives a guide to the trends which will be shaping the market over the next ten years and beyond.
Where is the largest and fastest growing market for breast milk substitutes ? How does the market relate to the overall economy, demography and other similar markets? What forces will shape the market going forward, including technological disruption, regulatory shifts, and changing consumer preferences? The breast milk substitutes market global report from the Business Research Company answers all these questions and many more.
The report covers market characteristics, size and growth, segmentation, regional and country breakdowns, total addressable market (TAM), market attractiveness score (MAS), competitive landscape, market shares, company scoring matrix, trends and strategies for this market. It traces the market's historic and forecast market growth by geography.
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