Healthy consumption has become mainstream, and China's nut and roasted seeds market is experiencing robust growth. According to the "2025-2026 China Nut and Roasted Seeds Market Development Status and Consumer Trend Insight Report" released by iiMedia Research, a global third-party data mining and analysis institution for the new economy, the market size of China's nut and roasted seeds has exceeded 300 billion yuan in 2024. It is expected that by 2029, this scale will further climb to 428.3 billion yuan, with a potential to generate an incremental space of over 100 billion yuan in five years. Consumer demand for nut and roasted seeds continues to heat up. From daily leisure snacks to daily health supplements, these products have been deeply integrated into people's lives, with consumption frequency and coverage expanding continuously, injecting a lasting and strong impetus into market growth.
core viewpoint
Market size: It is estimated that the market size of roasted nuts in China will reach 428.3 billion yuan by 2029
With the steady growth of per capita disposable income, consumers' demand for snack foods has gradually increased. As an important segment of snack foods, the market for roasted nuts and seeds has ushered in broader development opportunities. According to data from iiMedia Research, the market size of China's snack food industry is expected to reach 1.2378 trillion yuan by 2027; the market size of China's roasted nuts and seeds is expected to exceed 300 billion yuan by 2024, and it is projected to further climb to 428.3 billion yuan by 2029, potentially creating an incremental space of over 100 billion yuan within five years.
Consumer Insight: "Daily Consumption + Gift Giving" Dual Scenarios Support the Dual Consumption Attributes of Roasted Seeds and Nuts
According to data from iiMedia Research, over 80% of consumers who purchase roasted nuts and seeds spend an average of 20-100 yuan per month, with the highest proportion of consumers purchasing once a month or more frequently, reflecting that nut consumption has become more routine. Consumers are willing to make regular purchases to meet their ongoing consumption needs. In terms of consumption attributes, the "gift-giving" aspect of roasted nuts and seeds remains prominent. Among the reasons for purchasing, "giving as a gift" accounts for 39.58%, indicating that these products serve both daily consumption and gift-giving purposes.
Development trend: Product innovation and channel expansion go hand in hand, driving diversified development of the nut and roasted seeds industry
To meet the current consumers' demands for health and diversification, the snack food industry has undergone significant changes in terms of products, channels, and consumption scenarios. On the product side, products that combine health attributes with rich flavors continue to gain market favor, while technological innovation continuously drives new product iterations, providing consumers with more choices. On the channel side, e-commerce platforms have become an important growth pole for the industry, and offline channels have also accelerated innovation and expansion. Diverse formats such as high-end membership stores and snack hypermarkets have emerged, which can cover different consumption levels and adapt to various scenarios such as instant purchasing, stockpiling, and gift shopping, fully meeting consumers' shopping needs.
The following is an excerpt from the report
Overview of the development background of China's roasted nut and seed market, definition of roasted nuts and seeds, and representative products
Nuts refer to the edible parts of the seeds of woody plants with hard shells; seeds refer to the edible parts of the seeds of plants such as melons, fruits, vegetables, and oilseeds. In this study, "roasted nuts and seeds" refers to ready-to-eat foods made primarily from nuts and seeds, processed through traditional or modern techniques such as frying, baking, salt-baking, and deep-frying. They belong to a subcategory under the broad category of "snacks".
Analysis of driving forces for the development of the roasted nut and seed market: the shift in health awareness
In 2024, the health literacy level of Chinese residents reached 31.87%, an increase of 2.17 percentage points from 2023, maintaining a rapid growth rate. Analysts from iiMedia Research believe that the improvement in the national health literacy level directly reflects the continuous enhancement of national health awareness, and it also signifies that consumers' focus on health has shifted from "passive response" to "active management". The popularization of healthy eating concepts among consumers and their pursuit of a high-quality life have driven the continuous growth of the nut market.
Analysis of the driving force behind the development of the roasted nut and seed market: the rise of the gift economy
According to data from iiMedia Research, the market size of China's gift economy is expected to increase to RMB 1,619.7 billion in 2027. Among the reasons why consumers purchase roasted nuts, "giving gifts" ranks third, accounting for 39.58%. As the scale of the gift economy expands, if leading brands further strengthen their positioning as "healthy gifts" and optimize the appearance, quality, and scene adaptability of their gift box products, they are expected to convert the dividends of the gift economy into actual sales growth, driving gift box nut products to become a new growth point in the industry.
Industry chain map of China's roasted nut and dried fruit industry
Analysis of the current development status of China's nut roasting and fried food market
Roasted nuts and seeds rank first among consumers' choices for Spring Festival gift boxes
The major categories in China's snack food market include baked pastries, roasted nuts and seeds, biscuits and puffed foods, braised products, candies, etc. In 2024, the market share of roasted nuts and seeds on e-commerce platforms increased from 28.8% in 2023 to 31.9%. According to data from iiMedia Research, in the consumption of Chinese New Year gift boxes in 2024, the purchase proportion of nuts ranked first, surpassing traditional gift box categories such as tea and Baijiu.
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The market for roasted nuts and seeds is expanding, with the potential to increase by hundreds of billions in the next five years
According to data from iiMedia Research, the market size of roasted nuts in China is expected to surpass 300 billion yuan in 2024, and is projected to further climb to 428.3 billion yuan by 2029, potentially creating an incremental space exceeding 100 billion yuan over the next five years. Analysts from iiMedia Research believe that this growth momentum stems from the escalating demand for healthy snacks from consumers. The nutritional properties of roasted nuts align perfectly with the current concept of healthy eating, and also benefit from the continuous expansion of distribution channels, especially the increase in e-commerce platform share and penetration into offline scenarios, which collectively drive the steady expansion of the market.
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Product innovation: The trend towards healthification is leading snack companies to upgrade their products
As consumers' health awareness continues to increase, the demand for healthy snacks with low sugar, low oil, and high nutrition has significantly grown. This trend is driving snack companies to accelerate their innovation towards healthier products. From carefully selecting healthy ingredients such as nuts and whole grains at the raw material stage, to reducing sugar and salt at the production stage, they are continuously launching new products that meet health demands in order to seize market share.
Expansion of image channels: snack collection stores, an innovative business format, are rapidly expanding
As an innovative format in the leisure food and beverage monopoly sector, snack hypermarkets focus on snack categories as their core business direction, leveraging the hard discount model to simultaneously build richness in product categories and competitive advantages in pricing. According to data from iiMedia Research, the market size of snack collection stores in China will reach 104 billion yuan in 2024, and is expected to reach 154.7 billion yuan by 2027. Analysts from iiMedia Research believe that the snack hypermarket industry is still in the expansion phase of market share, with the main goal of taking over some of the market space released by traditional retailers. Offline stores are also continuing to expand.
The market size of the image * is typically updated annually; if updated, the iiMedia Research will release it promptly
Insight into Chinese consumers' demand for roasted nuts and dried fruits
Caramel and cream flavors are the most popular, while health concerns drive the choice of original flavors
According to data from iiMedia Research, the top two flavors of nut roasted snacks preferred by consumers are caramel flavor (42.42%) and cream flavor (41.71%), both of which belong to the sweet category. This indicates that when consumers choose leisure nuts, they tend to derive pleasure from sweetness. Additionally, the proportion of original roasted flavor still accounts for 37.43%, nearly 40%. Analysts from iiMedia Research believe that under the influence of health awareness, some people have begun to focus on the natural flavor of ingredients and prefer original flavors without additional seasoning. This choice not only retains the nutritional components of the nuts themselves but also reduces the intake of excess calories and additives, aligning with the current pursuit of light-burden and natural healthy diets.
Satisfaction with roasted nuts and seeds in picture: taste and flavor are recognized, but price remains a sensitive point
According to data from iiMedia Research, among the satisfaction ratings given by consumers for the nuts and roasted seeds they have purchased, satisfaction with taste and flavor ranks the highest, accounting for 79.33% of the total; satisfaction with product price is relatively low, accounting for 60.42%. Analysts from iiMedia Research believe that consumers are willing to pay for high-quality taste, but are sensitive to price and resent high prices for low quality or hidden markups. Brands can balance demand through "differentiated pricing + taste upgrade", promoting premium taste products for core customers, and using cost-effective product lines to cover price-sensitive groups, achieving "value anchoring + full market coverage".
The consumer group for snack snacks tends to be younger, with taste becoming the main decision-making factor in purchasing
Data shows that among online snack food consumers, 46.9% are aged 28-38, 28.2% are aged 18-28, and over 75% are under 38 years old, indicating a younger consumer base. The primary factor for consumers when purchasing snacks is "flavor", followed by food safety, health, price, etc. Analysts from iiMedia Research believe that the trend of diversified flavors in roasted nuts is evident, and mainstream flavors can no longer meet market demand. Flavor-type nuts have become a segment with broad development prospects in the future.
The trend of "flavor + health" in images has emerged as a consumption trend, and enterprises are facing the challenge of balancing the dual demands
According to data from iiMedia Research, when consumers choose snack foods, 49.55% of them place equal importance on flavor and health, giving priority to products that have both good flavor and healthy attributes. Roasted nuts and seeds are a popular snack food category at present, and consumers not only pay attention to their flavor performance but also value their health benefits. This has forced companies to actively balance the two major demands of flavor and health.
Analysis of the development trend of China's roasted nut and roasted seeds market
Finally, the report interprets the development trends of China's nut and roasted seeds market from the perspectives of health precision, product scenario-based approach, comprehensive channel expansion, and consumption diversification. As consumers' awareness of health deepens, their demand for the health value of nuts has shifted from a single "nutritional supplement" to diverse aspirations. Brands can enhance the efficiency of nutrient absorption through advanced technology, making the health value more aligned with the physiological characteristics and consumption needs of different groups, truly achieving a "tailored" health supply for each individual, and further broadening the coverage of consumer groups. In terms of channel layout, the industry is breaking through the status quo through online and offline collaboration, building a comprehensive channel network of "online + offline (including convenience snack stores, member supermarkets) + overseas", effectively covering different consumption levels and scenario needs. The product positioning of nut and roasted seeds is also undergoing a transformation, evolving from being a "single snack" to a lifestyle companion across all time periods and multiple scenarios. This shift has significantly increased consumers' usage frequency and brand loyalty.
Article source: iiMedia Research official account