Belgium

In 2023, processed meat and seafood in Belgium has been facing a challenging environment, with negative factors influencing performance. The year has continued the downward trajectory seen in 2022, marked by a compound set of stressors—notably the…

Within the inflation crisis, processed fruit and vegetables has seen volume sales decline slow, largely thanks to the resurgence of home cooking. This trend has been further bolstered by the prohibitive costs of fresh counterparts. The year 2023…

In 2023, Belgian breakfast habits have undergone a notable shift with a pronounced inclination towards home consumption amidst the ongoing strain on disposable incomes. As such, breakfast cereals is seeing a rise in demand, recording positive volume…

Following a noticeable increase in unit prices in 2022, 2023 began with a trend towards stabilisation, especially within leavened bread. This stabilisation has directly influenced volume sales, transitioning from a pronounced decline to a modest…

In 2022, Belgium faced high inflation and fluctuating energy prices, slowing GDP growth. Even though private automobiles are the preferred means of transportation, rising car prices and semiconductor shortages led to a fall in sales. Electric vehicle…

With the health trend gathering momentum on an annual basis in Belgium, the importance of product Nutri-Scores has been strengthening. In general, local consumers are seeking out staple products that are good for their health and which feature…

As obesity and general health are growing concerns among Belgium’s population, low and no sugar soft drinks are becoming more popular and are taking sales share from regular soft drinks. The leader of the category, Coca-Cola, is a significant example…

The health trend gathered momentum in Belgium during 2022 as consumers became increasingly concerned about rising obesity rates. This in turn generated greater interest in healthier snacks. Indeed, when seeking to snack and indulge themselves,…

Natural claims and consumer demand for authenticity drove sales of health and wellness hot drinks in Belgium during 2022. Indeed, despite the fact that inflation badly impacted the category, and both on-the-go consumption and on-trade sales were only…

More Belgians are becoming flexitarian, which is having two major impacts on the dairy products and alternatives category. On one hand, consumers are seeking dairy products that contain more proteins. Indeed, flexitarians need to find another source…

Demand for healthy cooking ingredients and ready meals is on the rise in Belgium. Indeed, the Nutri-Score given to products is becoming more important for consumers, who are increasingly buying products with better Nutri-Scores especially concerning…

The health and wellness industry continues to grow in importance post-pandemic as consumers become more aware of the negative health impact of processed foods, seeking healthier foods and beverages from a range of claims such as natural, organic,…

The commodities country overview provides comprehensive data on production, consumption and price trends on key commodities markets. The commodities overview in Belgium covers production and consumption trends in agricultural commodities, energy…

Yoghurt and sour milk products is seeing a slight decline in retail volume terms in 2023, although the category is set to see steady growth in current value terms. The latter is due to the lingering effects of the inflation crisis, with retail prices…

Sales of plant-based dairy fluctuated significantly over the review period. During the peak of the pandemic, in 2020, volume sales shot up but then declined in 2021 and 2022. By the end of 2022, retail volume sales had largely returned to 2019…

Other dairy has been strongly affected by the inflation crisis with prices going up and putting pressure on demand. High inflation has also placed significant pressure on consumers’ disposable income, pushing consumers to look for value-for-money but…

Demand for drinking milk products was strongly affected in 2022 by a sharp rise in prices, which was the result of high inflation and spiralling manufacturing costs. As a result, retail volume sales dropped significantly, while the category saw…

Dairy products and alternatives witnessed a significant decline in retail volume terms in 2022 for the second year running with inflation driving price increases and putting pressure on consumers’ available income. As a result, total volume sales…

Cheese is a strongly rooted, highly mature category in Belgium with it forming the basis of many meals and dishes. Following the strong growth during the peak of the pandemic, demand for cheese declined strongly both in 2021 and 2022. This was due to…

Following the pattern seen across dairy in Belgium, butter prices rose sharply in 2022, resulting in a sales decline in retail volume terms. Despite prices slowly stabilising in 2023, volume sales of butter have continued to decline, albeit at a…